Peeblesshire News | Sport | Biggar ripped apart

Thursday, 21st August, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 16th November, 2005 12:05

Biggar ripped apart

Currie 67, Biggar 14

THIS is not the first Biggar side to have been totally ripped apart on a rugby pitch and it will not be the last because these things happen in sport.

The sense of disbelief felt by those Biggar supporters and officials who were watching mirrored that of the Selkirk support just two seasons ago when Biggar ran up a similarly high tally in a Premier 2 game when Biggar were on the road to promotion.

That many of those same players who triumphed that day were present on Saturday gives some hope because these are quite obviously not bad rugby players.

But in a physical game such as rugby, when things are going wrong and when tries are being conceded, it requires real character to lift flagging spirits.

Currie (quite rightly) never gave up running at their hosts and bludgeoned their way through the desperate Biggar defence, making things as difficult as they could.

There was major disappointment at the result but if there was one thing more disappointing than any other it was that there didn't seem to be anyone really able to take stock of what was going on and to give the lead that was necessary.

Injuries and the fact that players were fielded out of position (flanker Graeme Fisken had to play on the wing) certainly didn't help but coach Gary Parker must now seek to work with his charges to raise their confidence in the coming weeks.

Biggar welcomed back both Quintan Sanft and Chad Slade after injury but were frustrated as they lost the services of Andrew Dunlop who was injured at training on Thursday.

Both sides were at the wrong end of the Premier 1 table going into this match with Biggar the worse off, being four points adrift from their hosts.

This then, was to be a game when league positions would be equal, had Biggar won, or where Currie would gain a march and open an 8-point gap between the sides.

That this was increased to nine points with the 4-try bonus point leaves Biggar firmly in third-bottom spot, while Currie are elevated to mid-table.

Results elsewhere now bring Boroughmuir and Melrose within striking distance, with Stewart's Melville and Stirling County occupying the bottom two spots.

Biggar had the worst possible start as directly from the kick-off the Currie pack swept play 30 metres into the Biggar half.

New South African stand off Donovan Raw was off target with a drop goal attempt but the first score was merely delayed as from the long re-start Currie launched a swift counter, first up tackles being missed prior to left winger Chris Browne setting off on a long 40 metre race to the line which he won with ease to score in the corner.

Biggar battled back and, with the lineout providing good ball, the pack set off on a number of drives to the line but these were met with some sound and resolute defence.

Michael Rutherford was forced off with a head knock, Kevin Anderson taking over.

Raw kicked a penalty but Quintan Sanft was able to open his side's account with a similar award after Currie had infringed at a ruck.

Not surprisingly given the final score, this was Biggar's best period of the game, but there was always a much greater threat when Currie had ball in hand than when Biggar attacked.

The pace of the Currie backline and the fierce support offered by the Currie pack meant that even when tackles were made Biggar were unable to get any forward momentum.

Sanft kicked another penalty but was then off target with a third attempt, this coming after a better passage of play which saw play varied by some neat tactical kicking by scrum half Drew Moore.

Unfortunately however, he picked up a leg knock and then a neck injury and was replaced by Gary Walkinshaw, Craig Parker coming on at wing.

Another rapid attack with the Currie three-quarters in full flow freed centre David Officer for the third score which was converted to give Currie a 15-6 lead.

Sanft was off target with a drop goal attempt and then with another penalty as Biggar pressed, some good attacking play by Stuart Harrison and Craig Parker forcing Currie to concede a drop out and then a 5-meter scrum.

Some better play involving Sanft and lock forward Chad Slade gave some hope but the pressure from these attacks was crucially not turned into points, Currie on the other hand benefiting from another Raw penalty which kept the scoreboard ticking, and which increased their lead to 18-9 with half-time looming.

Significantly, while Sanft was off target with another penalty award, Currie immediately turned the game with a sweeping three-quarter movement which ended with winger Simon May crashing through tackles to score a try which Raw converted to put his side 25-6 ahead, and with the bonus point already in the bag.

Biggar opened the second half having been forced to make several changes, centre Ian Berthinussen having to retire following a mouth injury, prop Elliot McLaren with a leg injury and Drew Moore clearly unable to continue because of his earlier problems.

Fisken, Michael Erskine and Parker were the replacements.

It is no reflection on their play whatsoever but the floodgates opened not long after the restart, the Currie players gaining in confidence at much the same rate as the Biggar players were losing theirs.

A sustained passage of Currie pressure eventually led to a try from fullback Andy Muir, and then at regular intervals from No 8 Ross Weston, Officer, Greg Downs and lastly Doug Dingwall as Biggar were torn apart, the reliability of their tackling found wanting time and again as Currie continued to run at pace.

Raw managed a personal tally of 22 points - a nice way to celebrate his first game in Scotland.

Biggar must now regroup. Things can hardly get worse and aside from Saturday when they were clearly not in the game for anything other than a few minutes in the first half, they have not been playing that badly, and have been so close to winning many of their previous games. But they haven't and so regroup they must.

It is never easy supporting a side which has fallen on difficult times but I am certain it would do the players the power of good if the Biggar support were to turn out in force to help them through this difficult spell.

Some positive encouragement would do the world of good, as I have already said, these players are not bad players, so let's get down to Hartreemill on Saturday and get behind our side.

Biggar: M. Thomson, G. Walkinshaw, I. Berthinussen (G. Fisken 40 mins), S, Harrison, C. Sorbie, Q. Sanft, D. Moore, E. McLaren (M. Erskine 50 mins), M. Rutherford (K. Anderson 10 mins), F. Campbell, S, Cunningham, C. Slade, R. Wood, A. Cairns, E. McAlpine.

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