Young Reds S1s secure another impressive victory with 10 tries

Linlithgow 70 (35) – 14 (7) Lasswade

Saturday, 22 February 2025

Report by Mike O’Hara

Originally scheduled to take place at Lasswade, the inclement weather rendered the high school pitches unplayable. Linlithgow Academy therefore graciously agreed to host the fixture, thanks to Tim and Euan’s prompt pitch inspection.

Despite the previous day’s heavy rainfall, the sun shone brightly, and the pitch remained in excellent condition. Spectators were advised to wear wellies and dress in multiple layers to stay warm. During the warm-up session, the players contended with increasingly muddy conditions, leading coaches to anticipate a match dominated by scrums over the next 50 minutes.

The match commenced with Max initiating the kick-off. Finlay executed a well-timed run to catch the kick-off and passed to Callum, who ran unopposed from 30 meters to score the first of ten tries for the Reds. The team’s relentless line speed in defence and powerful tackles enabled Tom to side-step the last defender and score his try. Following this, Tom contributed to Rory’s first try of the day by breaking through the defensive line before being tackled just short of the try line, where he collected the ball and dived over.

The Young Reds displayed exceptional rugby skills, smoothly transitioning the ball across the field. Lucas covered significant distance before a slick pass to Tom, who then passed to Finlay, tackled short of the try line, allowing Rory to drive over for his second try. Callum made an impressive break from the Reds’ 22-meter line, running the length of the pitch for his second try.

Despite Lasswade’s efforts to score before halftime, they were limited to 7 points by the Reds’ strong defence from Jay, Logan, Ruairi & Harvey.

The second half began energetically with Finlay passing to Lucas, who broke the line and handed off to Archie for a diving finish under the posts. Nathan capitalised on a turnover, passing to Finlay, who scored in the corner.

Rory completed a hat trick from an attacking line-out, receiving from Blair via Jay. Callum also secured a hat-trick with another break from his own half. The final try saw Tom offloading to Nathan, who was tackled but managed to pass to Jack, expertly diving into the corner. The team celebrated together as they returned to halfway.

Max (2), Nathan (4), and Rory (4) demonstrated exceptional accuracy with their goal-kicking, successfully converting all ten tries scored, resulting in a fantastic game for the S1 Reds.

Tom had a standout performance, with numerous line breaks and countless tackles.

He kept the team on the front foot and scored a try. A great all-round performance and very deserving of the Player of The Match.