Orkney overcome Highland in dour December battle

RBS Caledonia League Division 1
Picky - Saturday 8th December, 2012
Orkney RFC 13, Highland RFC 0

It’s matches like this one that make a difference at the end of the season, and this particular victory - by 13-0 over Highland - lifted Orkney to fifth in the league and gave them their fourth win in a row going into the festive break.

Photos: Rae Slater

The boot of Danny Bain gave Orkney an early lead through a penalty, but although they had lots of the play and some pressure on the Highland line it was half an hour in before they got more points on the board, with Garry Coltherd emerging from the bottom of a heap of Orkney players as the scorer of what is his third try in four matches. The old warhorse thunders on. The try went unconverted for an 8-0 lead.

Although Orkney continued to have most of the possession, the score remained the same up to the turnaround, with the only talking point being a bit of a touchline fracas that led to the double sin-binning of Steven Groat and one of his Highland opponents. Their 10-minutes off the pitch straddled the half-time break.

Orkney were back on the front foot early in the second half but Chris Guthrie was stopped as he attempted to go for the line from the back of a scrum five metres out, and then Orkney went a man down as Neil McCartney saw yellow for an uncharacteristic piece of indiscipline.

Highland took the numbers advantage and went on the attack for a spell and the game was a bit of a midfield stalemate for a bit before Orkney were awarded a scrum that turned to a free kick on half way. Willie Thomson launched a huge Howitzer in the Highland 22 to set up another Orkney attack on the left.

The match continued to swing back and fore in midfield, with the odd chance for Orkney being snuffed out by determined defence from Highland and the crowd on the touchline were beginning to talk about a late comeback from the visitors.

That was killed off with around 10 minutes to go however, with a break up the left by Scott Rendall eventually seeing Philip Ross cross the line for another unconverted try to make it 13-0 to Orkney.

No bonus-point win this weekend then, but a welcome victory after a hard-fought home match and a good enough way to round off 2012.

Orkney can now rest and recover and - mindful of the fact that they’ve played a couple more matches than the four teams within sniping distance of them - prepare to continue their winning ways at the start of 2013, when the first visitors are due to be Hillfoots on Saturday, January 19.

Robert Leslie