PICTURES: Moray Rugby Club run in 11 tries against North Police Scotland to clock up ninth consecutive Tennent’s Caledonia North Region League Division 2 victory
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Moray started the year by compressively defeating North Police Scotland by 69 points to 12 in their latest Tennent’s Caledonia North Region League Division 2 fixture.
The Elgin side opened the scoring in the first minute. A line-out, 5 metres out, was cleanly taken and moved to Prop Mark Taylor on the charge and he broke the defence to score. Full-back Rory Millar added the conversion for 7-0.
In the 5th minute, a line-out on the attacking 22 was secured and was moved wide, firstly left and then right. Centre Connor McWilliam took the ball at a great angle to breach the defence and score. Millar converted for 14-0.
Millar added two tries in a 3-minute spell around the 15-minute mark, securing a try bonus point and taking the score to 26-0.
The first, in a flowing backs move, saw him take the ball, step inside and make the line for a converted try. The second was scored when after a breach into the 22, the ball was moved wide to him to score an unconverted try.
In the 19th minute, a penalty took them to an attacking line, 5 metres out. Clean ball was taken, set and a driven over the line with wing-forward Neil Alexander coming up with the ball. Millar converted for 33-0.
Three minutes later, the Police side scored following a fortuitus deflection, reducing the score to 33-7.
In the 32nd minute, Moray extended the lead. A break up the left wing saw wing-forward Lewis Small dummy the final pass and drive inside past several defenders to a ruck. Ball was moved wide to wing Lewis Scott who returned it inside to second-row Hugh MacRae to make the line for an unconverted try and 38-7.
In the final play of the half, good continuity play up the right was moved wide and when Small received the ball, he straightened and created the gap to score. Millar added the conversion for a half-time score of 45-7.
Moray continued to press after the break and in the 53rd minute added another.
Hooker and captain Marc Higgins broke from the halfway line before offloading in contact to centre Cameron Hughes who in turn drew the last man before releasing Millar to run in his 3rd try of the afternoon. He could not add the conversion, leaving the score at 50-7.
Ten minutes later, McWilliam broke from his own half and a couple of passes later the ball reached wing Cameron Preece who backed his pace and ran round his opposite number to score. Millar added the conversion for 57-7.
In the 68th minute, the Police made it 57-12 when they scored a second try.
Two minutes later, the Elgin side scored from an attacking line, 5 metres out. Clean ball was taken and driven and this time Prop Lewis Higgins was the man with ball in hand to score a forward’s unconverted try for 62-12.
Five minutes from time, Moray scored their final try of the afternoon. A break by MacRae was stopped, but a ruck set. Ball was moved quickly to Preece who again took on his opposite number. He was stopped a metre from the line but wing-forward Cameron Morrison Smith was on hand to pick up and score. Millar added the conversion points for a final score of Moray 69 North Police 12.
This Saturday, Moray are away to Banff.
