Saturday 24th November

Sunnyside Park

National 2nds League Division 4 East

FALKIRK 2ND XV 7- 15 GRANGEMOUTH STAGS 2ND XV

The long awaited first derby of the season between the two local clubs finally came round on the 2nd XV fixture card last weekend, and produced a thoroughly entertaining and tough encounter.With not an antipodean or springbok in either side, this game perhaps better than anything exemplified both towns best 'home grown' talent as the clubs renewed their rivalry .

With both teams requiring a win to get their season back on track, and with local pride also at stake, there were a number of veterans who came out of the wood work to renew old rivalries from years gone by and lend their experience to their respective sides.

The weeks weather at one point had people wondering whether the game would be called off, but the Sunnyside pitch was not in that bad condition. The game kicked off with a fairly strong wind behind the Stags, but it did not take too long for the pitch to start cutting up and becoming tricky under foot.

The first 10 minutes had an even number of exchanges, and promised an exciting game as neither team seemed too keen to kick away possession. The play ebbed and flowed mainly in the centre of the field with numerous scrums littering the opening period, as knock ons and slow recycling caused mainly by the pitch, restricted the hope of flowing rugby.

However, Grangemouth were first to put a score on the board when awarded a scrum on the half way line. With the scrums uncontested due to Grangemouth unable to field an experienced front row, this perhaps took away one of the major advantages of Falkirks large pack. The scrum won by the stags, it was fed sweetly from scrum half Neil Chisholm through the backs to find winger Chris Bruce in acres of space out wide, but still half of the pitch to run. Once in full flight however, he was unstoppable and touched down out wide to give a 5-0 lead. Grangemouth's captain for the day Tom Chapman missed the extras.

It was not long before Grangemouth extended their lead with a very similar play. On their own 22, the Stags won their own lineout and elected to run the ball. Again, swift hands through the backs found the flying winger Bruce who again outpaced his opposite number. He scrambled over the score line after some great tracking back in defence from Falkirk, but he did just enough. Again, the extras were missed in tricky kicking conditions.

10-0 up, but Falkirk by no means out of the game, the play continued to move all over the pitch, with Falkirk's strong centre pairing threatening to breach the Stags defence on more than a couple of occasions in the dying minutes of the half. As tensions mounted and old wounds came to the fore, the referee found himself having to calm down both sets of players in the end of the half, but this was perhaps to be expected with a little more spice to the game than the usual fixtures week in week out.

With the rain managing to just hold off, the second half got under way and immediately Falkirk signalled that they were still believing by pinning the Stags back in their own 22 with some booming kicking from hand from veteran Jimmy Connors, using the windy conditions nicely. Falkirk were having the lions share of posession in the line outs, but were struggling to come to terms with Grangemouth only committing one man to the resulting 'maul' direct from the lineout, which largely neutralised the rolling play of the large home pack.

Perhaps against the run of play, Grangemouth increased their lead after 10 minutes of the second period when a non descript punt did not roll out of play in the mud 10 yards short of the Falkirk line. The ball was for once recycled quickly and spun through the hands with Brian Rutherford taking on the crash ball. Superbly brought down 5 yards out, it looked like the move would fade out, but Rutherford managed to get the ball out of the tackle to Bruce once more, who unselfishly commited his man and fed Graeme Mair to run over from 10 metres out for the score. Attempting to convert his own try, Mair also missed the bonus points.

Although 15 points down, Falkirk's heads did not go down and they showed some strong belief to get themselves right back in to this game straight from the kick off. Some clever hands took them down to the Stags 22 where they were awarded a scrum. Using the non contested rules to their own advantage this time, they set a platform off their 2nd phase to allow Cameron Ellis to hit the ball at pace 15 yards out, break through the weak tackling in defence, and score down under the posts. Easily converted by Connor, this meant there was going to be a tight finish to the last 20 minutes of the game. Indeed, only 5 minutes after their score, Falkirk were awarded a penalty 35 yards out directly in front of the posts. However, they elected for touch, when perhaps the reliable boot of Connor might have closed the gap to 5 points leaving the game a 'next score the winner' scenario in the last quarter.

As it was, there was much huffing a puffing from both sides that amounted to very little. Neither team threatened to score again, and the game largely descended in to a scrum and lineout fest with both teams struggling to control the ball or make much head way. And so the game ended with Grangemouth recording their second win in a row. Perhaps on the day, Grangemouth deserved the victory, but there is no doubt that having a winger with blistering pace and the uncontested scrums were the difference between the two teams. Falkirk were by no means disgraced and are looking forward to the return fixture at Glensburgh in the new year already.

It was interesting to see so many of the Falkirk and Grangemouth players from the past make themselves available for ths fixture, as it still means a lot to both clubs to do themselves justice in their local derby. However, it should be noted that both clubs also took the opportunity to field some youth in the closing quarter and give them a baptism of what to expect for the next 25 years of their lives! Falkirks stand off in particular frequently grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck with some clever tactical kicking and generally safe hands for his no. 9 to find.

ENDS.