Ellon tackle the issue of summer rugby
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For many years there has been the debate about Summer Rugby writes Ellon's youth coach Gareth Kemp.
Much better weather to play sport in, encourage youths to play sports and coaches to coach in.
This year we have the opportunity to try it for ourselves with three friendlies arranged in the north-east to encourage players gently back into the game after 16 months off.
Ellon U18 took a large squad to Stonehaven to take on Mackie for the first game and were blessed with plenty of players to work in rotation to all get as much game time as possible.
It turned out to be hot and dry in Stonehaven, with a wind to mix it up.
Mackie started well and had all the pressure for 14 minutes, but Ellon absorbed it with a strong defence.
Ellon influential standoff Josh Andrew had to come off with a dead leg.
Taking the ball forward, clearing with a kick and decent lineouts, ended with a lineout 10m out.
Dylan Kemp in his first game at scrum half dummied to the right and Fin Hagen picked left at 8 and drove over for the first try which was converted by Daniel Gillies.
It didn’t take long for Mackie to counter, by attacking left catching Ellon sleeping.
Score and conversion missed made it 5-7.
Mackie then gained a mid-pitch turn over and a kick left was taken by the winger and another score wide, conversion missed. 10-7.
Another scrum to Ellon inside the Mackie 22 and Ben Dickie did his usual snipe and scored, with Daniel Gillies converting.
Half time 10-14 to Ellon.
Second half Mackie score, again catching Ellon sleeping.
This time conversion was taken.
However Ellon's defence kicked in and that was he last score for Mackie.
Pressure by Ellon up the middle and wide created a ruck close to the Mackie line.
Turned over by Mackie and then back again by Ellon, who drove forward and spun wide to Lewis Duncan out wide to slide over. Conversion by Gillies.
The final try for Ellon as a kick from midfield was taken out by Mackie on the 22.
Archie was too a quick throw to himself, and then was stopped just short.
Jamie Brooks picked it up and crashed over. Gillies kicked the final conversion, making 4/4 and good field kicking also.
Final score was 17-28 to Ellon, with players of the match to Adam Fowlie and Jamie Brooks.
A much different team this coming weekend are away to Deeside, with an early KO at 11.30am.
That was the only win this weekend for Ellon, however it showed that we wanted all players to gain as much game time as possible, and just great to be playing again.
U16 were well beaten by a strong physical U16 Mackie team, with U15 and U14 Ellon just missing out.
U13 with a smaller squad and a hot day also lost out, but great to be learning since their last game was at P6.
All teams are away to Deeside/Garioch combined next weekend.
