SEVERAL tough calls in this week’s team. At full-back, Liam MacNamara of Ayrshire Bulls and Kieran Clark of Southern Knights had their moments, and Tom Brown put in an accomplished all-r0und performance for the Bears, but Logan Trotter of Stirling County gets the nod once again with a slightly quieter performance than in recent weeks but still plenty of examples of his class on display.
Some credit needs to go to Southern Knights from fighting back to salvage respectability on the scoreboard after going 32-0 down to the Bears with an hour played, and the fast and elusive Aidan Cross – who looked dangerous whenever he got a chance – retains his place in the team-of-the-week after a great pick-up from his toes to finish the second of the Borderers’ two comeback scores. Joe Jenkins of the Bears is selected on the left wing after busy all-round performance which included the finishing touches on a fine team try.
Bobby Beattie impressed for the Bulls and took his try well but opposite number Ben Salmon of Stirling County edges selection at outside-centre this week with a solid defensive effort garnished with a couple of nice attacking flourishes. At inside-centre centre, Ryan Southern announced his belated arrival in Super6 with a well-taken try for Stirling County inside three minutes and several other good touches, but he didn’t get it all his own way and gave away an interception score straight from the restart, so Andy Stirrat is named at inside-centre after an impressive showing in both attack and defence.
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Marcus Holden‘s injury-time drop-goal was a sensational finish to his solid all-round performance for Stirling County, but Tom Jordan had arguably his best showing of this Super6 series having moved in from centre to stand-off for Ayrshire Bulls, scoring an interception try and asking plenty of question through boot and ball in hand.
Scrum-half Sean Kennedy‘s game management, some huge tackling and generally assured display was key to Stirling County’s win.
Lewis Skinner of Stirling County gets the nod at loose-head. Teenager Jerry Blyth-Lafferty was the toast of Meggetland on Saturday evening after two tries on his first Super6 start, but you have to celebrate magic moments and Duncan Hood‘s sensational try for the Knights will live long in the memory. Martin McGinley was the powerhouse in a dominant Bears scrum and had some great moments in the loose, including soft hands to set up brother, Scott, for his team’s fourth try.
Euan Ferrie and Hamish Bain have become a real driving force in the middle-row for Bears, tackling hard, carrying with purpose and dominating at line-out time, so both make this week’s team-of-the-week, with an honourable mention going to Max Williamson who came off the bench for County and tackled like a man possessed to help turn the tide in his team’s favour, and to Bulls’ unsung hero Ed Bloodworth.
Liam McConnell was official man-of-the-match for Bears and proved again what a huge prospect he is at blindside flanker. He is joined in the back-row by team-mate and captain Scott McGinley, who edges out his busy opposite number Wallace Nelson of Southern Knights. Stirling’s Benedict Grant got through a power of work with ball in hand, making loads of hard yards and really taking the game to the Bulls, so Trystan Andrews of Bears in unfortunate to miss out at No 8 after a performance which featured a couple of impressive turnovers and plenty of purposeful carrying.
15. Logan Trotter (Stirling County)
14. Aidan Cross (Southern Knights)
13. Ben Salmon (Stirling County)
12. Andy Stirrat (Ayrshire Bulls)
11. Joe Jordan (Boroughmuir Bears)
10. Tom Jordon (Ayrshire Bulls)
9. Sean Kennedy (Stirling County)
1. Lewis Skinner (Stirling County)
2. Duncan Hood (Southern Knights)
3. Martin McGinley (Boroughmuir Bears)
4. Euan Ferrie (Boroughmuir Bears)
5. Hamish Bain (Boroughmuir Bears)
6. Liam McConnell (Borougmuir Bears)
7. Scott McGinley (Boroughmuir Bears)
8. Benedict Grant (Stirling County)
Super6 Sprint: Stirling County snatch win over Ayrshire Bulls with injury-time drop-goal
Super6 Sprint: Jerry Blyth-Lafferty double sets up Boroughmuir Bears win over Southern Knights