Bulls on top in derby as build-up goes on

Aug 21 2008 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

WITH Hamilton’s Laigh Bent pitch waterlogged, the Bulls’ final pre-season match of the summer was moved to Cambuslang’s Coats Park.

Coach Ian Morrison will have been pleased that the game went ahead, as he hasn’t had his troubles to seek.

New coach Tyrone Sterry left the club due to travel problems, while Scottish club internationalist Richie Maxton, who took over the coaching duties, picked up an injury at Stirling last week.

David McGrath is still recovering from knee surgery and first-choice hooker Ralph McInally walked out on the club during the week.

However Nick Risden, the first of two New Zealanders, went straight into the team at scrum-half.

Hamilton went ahead in 12 minutes when young hooker Martin Tarditi took the strike at the scrum and Risden fed wide to Owen McLeish. He fed Andy MacFie, who went outside David Bolton to touch down, with McLeish converting for 7-0.

Hamilton moved further ahead when Dougie Smith broke through the centre and, while Peter Callaghan’s tackle took him to ground, Paul Flood and Nicky Malley were on hand to secure ball for the Bulls.

Risden released ball along the backs where Stuart Bartwicki joined the line out wide and went over in the corner for 12-0.

At the interval, coach Morrison threw on Craig Sangster, Craig McLean, Gerry Hawkes, Ross Inglis and Roddy Wallace for Craig Inglis, Matt Gray, Flood, Nigel Scullion and MacFie, while Owens moved to centre.

Cambuslang grabbed their first try after five minutes when Peter Gallacher rose above everybody to take a lineout and quickly fed Rawling.

He found Duncan Weir and the stand-off broke clear to touch down, converting his own try for a 12-7 score.

Morrison again changed things, with Cammy Brown taking over on the left, Ross Inglis moving to full-back in place of Bartwicki, Davie Gemmell replacing Jason Agnew at prop, and Gray returning in place of Ross Oattes.

Despite having been pinned back in their own 22, Hamilton went further ahead after 20 minutes of the half, with Hawkes scoring in the corner, stretching Hamilton’s lead to 17-7.

Hamilton then stepped up a gear and when Tarditi hooked well, Risden fed the backs.

Sangster’s pop-pass created space for Ross Inglis to drive through the centre, before finding Hawkes on his shoulder.

The Hamilton flanker fed Wallace on the wing and he scored in the corner for 22-7.

At the next lineout Flood stole good ball at the tail and set Gray free to pound his way towards the line, supported by Gemmell and Sangster, with the latter scoring try number five. Inglis converted for 29-7.

Ally Marshall secured another lineout and Risden fed along the backs for Bartwicki to go close before Allan Lindsay stopped him.

Marshall and Gray secured the ball and Risden switched play right for Craig Inglis to slice through the centre and score, converting for 36-7.

In the final move of the game, Weir broke free to reduce the final score to 36-12.

Hamilton travel down to Darlington for their final pre-season match.

Despite the wet weather, 22 ladies attended the Ladies’ Day event at Laigh Bent on Saturday, raising £300 for Cambuslang Rugby Club’s Ciaran Pryce Fund, which was collected by SRU president Jim Stevenson, a former Cambuslang president.

Ciaran, who played for Cambuslang and Cathkin High, was seriously injured during a game last season and is confined to a wheelchair.