Dunfermline P6s Win Kinross Tournament

The P6 side was invited to the Kinross Tournament on Sunday expecting 3 group matches and, with luck, a final. Due to the non-appearance of Glenrothes the tournament was revised to include a lot more rugby. It was just as well, then, that the team was on top form even though a few of the boys -- they know who they are --had clearly not read the tournament rule that, on the first Sunday in October, only boys named Matthew are allowed to score anything at all. Fortunately, our Matthew had read and understood it thoroughly. We ended the tournament deserving our trophy.

The first game was against Hillfoots who turned out not to be our strongest opposition.The Dunfermline line was never seriously threatened and it was Matthew, appropriately, who scored the first of our three tries. Following that Dylan, using strength and Sean, showing a fine turn of speed (these guys really hadn't read the script), scored the other two. There were two disallowed tries but it didn't matter. A fairly easy 3-0 win.

The only blot on an otherwise winning day was our game against McLaren who have come on a lot since last year We had most of the game but went behind to a good try through the middle. Although we did draw the match 1-1, it might have mattered because of the rule that a tie in the first group of games could be decided retrospectively on the criterion of the first try in the head-to head game. McLaren were a threat and it was lucky that we didn't meet them in the final.

We were expecting a stiffer test from Kirkcaldy but, perhaps missing key players, they were never in the game. They were never in our half. Actually, they were never in our class. The constant pressure could have produced more than our four tries, but for some over-exuberance leading to knock-ons and at least one try disallowed because of the 2 pass rule. Rory scored his first try of the season, going over in the left corner, having forgotten about the 1st Sunday in October rule.. Matthew scored the other three tries (of course) including one unstoppable run from 20 yards, breaking through three tackles on the way. 4-0

Then we took on Kinross. Strangely, bearing in mind that they were the hosts, they only had seven players and no subs so the game started 7-a-side. After a few minutes of robust rugby, one the Kinross boys was injured and so we had to lose a player to make a game of sixes. The player we lost wasn't sent off -- it was just that the Kinross boy had been hurt in an infringement by one of our team, so we couldn't be allowed an advantage from their lack of subs. This ruling mattered later in the afternoon. Normal service was thereafter resumed and Matthew scored his usual two tries, the second one coming from a furious ruck 10 yards out which tied up five of the opposition, leaving just one to try to stop Matthew. Poor lad, poor lad. 2-0.

The other games had not quite gone to form and it turned out that we had to play Kinross again in the final.The Kinross players must have been extremely tired by that point but they put up a good fight. Matthew got the first try, as we had come to expect -- this time, at last, remebering to score it on the same side of the pitch as the camera. Kinross still plugged away, and even got into our half once or twice -- then suddenly the game broke down with one of their players injured, apparently due to our infringement. The referee played an extended advantage and, while our boys waited for the whistle, the largest of their team picked up and ran from a good distance out, scoring in the left corner. Then we realised that another of the Kinross players was still on the ground. He had been hurt, though through no fault of the Dunfermline side -- he may simply have gone over on an ankle. He had to go off but, since the injury wasn't our fault this time, we didn't have to lose a player. It was seven guys who had had the benefit of subs throughout the afternoon, against six guys who had had to play every minute. There was only going to be one winner, and only one scorer. 2-1

Well done Dunfermline players and coaches. The season has started brilliantly -- let's hope we can keep it up.

Written By John Fotheringham