Leith 48 - 27 Corstorphine Cougars

Match report by Kevin Greenan

Leith welcomed Corstorphine Cougars to Academy Park for the opening game of Tennents East League 2, looking to make amends from last week's disappointing cup exit at Trinity. The hard work on the training ground appeared to have pay off early on, with the forwards controlling the ball from KO, resulting in them tacking the ball short of the Cougars tryline. After they reset the ball, Toby Kirkwood drew in the defence with a big carry, quickly followed up by Bruce Connelly, and he was tackled short, another quick ruck saw Ben Wilkinson throw the miss pass to fullback Andrew Baxter to cut back inside the defence to score the opening try. Conversion good from Wilkinson for 7-0.

Cougars worked the ball in to Leith’s 22 shortly thereafter but good defence from Leith turned over the ball allowing Baxter to clear their lines. Leith continued to put pressure on Cougars lineouts resulting in turnover ball, and the forwards took the ball on releasing the back line again with winger Ross receiving the ball from a looping pass from Craig Williamson to explode through the gap to score from 40 metres, Wilkinson again with the extras for an early 14-0 lead.

Cougars openside flanker was carrying well, but was snuffed out by some resolute defence near the goal line with the homeside staying strong under pressure again. Shortly after Leith had a lineout on the halfway line, and with the forwrads carrying centrally, Wilkinson through a miss pass to outside centre Doug Watters, who cut out home and visiting fullback to put wing Andrew Paterson in for a score out wide, and a 19-0 lead.

Cougars again came back at Leith, and after conceding a penalty, Leith were slow to react, and Cougars took a quick tap, and with the defence scrambling, the visitors were able to play through 2 phases and score, to reduce the sore to 19-7. Leith hit abck immediately with a Wilkinson penalty (22-7), then from the resulting Cougars kickoff, Leith won the ball through Connelly, and quick recycling allowed the forwards to keep the momentum going into the 22 but good vision from halfback pair Fergal MacNamara and Wilkinson, saw the latter switch sides, and after biting into the Cougars line, Wilkinson hit Watters on an inside line to score and secure the 4-try bonus point for a converted try to take the score to 29-7. Cougars would have the last score of the half however, scoring in the corner for an unconverted try that saw the game at 29-12 at the break.

Leith continued where they left off after the break, with the forwards dictating the game tempo. Following an attacking kick into the visitors 22, the Cougars centre cleared his lines but the ball went straight to Paterson fixed the player chasing the kick with a pass out the back door to Baxter, and the fullback didn't need a second invitation to slice through a big hole int he defence and outpace several defenders to run 50 metres for his second score and a 36-12 lead, following Wilkinson's conversion.

Then followed arguably the try of the game, as a strong scrum from Leith pushed the visitors back, and MacNamara hounded the tidying Cougars No9, with Neil Paterson winning the breakdown turnover and breaking upfield towards the 22 and offloading to Marcos Teixeira, the no 8 pushing the ball inside to Craig Allan, who offloaded out the tackle to the supporting Connelly, who drew the fullback to send Jamie Drummond in to score under the posts. Conversion good from Wilkinson for 43-12, and with it Leith rang the changes and emptied the bench, including the introduction of Tomek Nawrovski on debut.

Following a 3rd Cougars try, Leith scored their final touchdown immediately after, and after good scrambled defence from Cougars stopped them short Leith’s forwards took the ball on and with the backs screaming for the ball out to the right, Teixeira did what all good number 8s do, he took a pass off replacement scrumhalf Ross Kilgour to crash over on the left! 48-17 to the homeside, who were then reduced to 14 men for the remaining 8 minutes when Williamson was yellow carded for a high tackle. Cougars finished strong scoring two tries in the last 5 minutes for a final score of 48-27, and a pleasing start to the league campaign.

Tries: Andrew Baxter (2), Ross Marwick, Andrew Paterson, Doug Watters, Jamie Drummond, Marcos Teixeira
Conversions: Ben Wilkinson (5)
Penalty: Ben Wilkinson

Man of the match was prop Bruce Connelly, leading the forwards from the front.