Hillfoots/Bannockburn RFC versus Blairgowrie RFC
Caledonia Cup
Final Score 28: 26
Hillfoots/Bannockburn traveled up to Blairgowrie for this Caledonian cup tie. With the rain coming down constantly Hillfoots/Bannockburn started well but ran into some crunching tackling from Blaigowrie. The visitor keep at it and after 7min David Harvey broke clear and scored the first try of the match. Ross Currie converted and Hillfoots/Bannockburn were 7-o up. The home team came straight back with the stand off pining Hillfoots/Banockburn back in their own half with some great kicking. The game was very even for a while, but then Blairgowrie started to push up the park and only some great defensive work by Hillfoots/Bannockburn stopped them scoring, then on 22mins Blairgowrie got the converted try they deserved which leveled the scores. Both teams carried on hammering the tackles into each other and went went into the brake all square. In the second half it was more of the same until Cailean Baird-Chalmers broke out of his own half and sprinted up the wing and behind the posts to score a converted try. Not to be out down Blairgowrie came back up the park and did the same making the score 14 -12 to the visitors. Hillfoots/Bannockburn semed to to get the upper hand after this and when Lachlan Peterson hacked through a loose ball which the Blairgowrie backs couldn’t get their hands on he chases the ball down and scored in the corner. Up stepped Ross Currie and banged over the conversion from the touch line. With 12mins left and Blargowrie pressing the visitors try line Hillfoots/Bannockburns defence held strong. Time after time the boys keeps the home team from scoring and after another great tackle from Kirk Higgins the ball came back to Cailean Baird-Chalmers who ran the ball out of his own 22 and passed out to Martin McNee who sprinted from his own half to score a great try under the posts. Ross Currie stepped up and made it 4 from 4 conversions. With the score at 28-12 the visitors thought they had it in the bag but Blairgowrie came back up the pitch and scored a converted try. The visitor just needed to keep a hold of the ball and see the game out but instead gave the ball away again and were punished with another converted try. The score was now 28-26 to Hillfoots and with 4 mins remaining the visitor held on to the ball to win the game. All 17 players played their hearts out in very poor weather conditions against one of the best teams they have come up against the season.
The next round of the cup see them take on Ross & Sutherland at home (Bannockburn 2pm Kick off). Please see weekly news for more details of next tie.
