Hillfoots Rams...7
Bannockburn 1st XV...10
BT Caledonia League, Division 3 Midlands (South)
 

THE Rams welcomed Bannockburn RFC to wet and rainy Tillicoultry on Saturday. 

The Rams got off to a dream start with a passage of play straight from the training ground. 

Penetrating runs from both forwards and backs resulted in quick ruck ball which sucked in the visitors defence and created an overlap for centre Callum Hamilton to score a try with less than 5 minutes on the clock.

Cammy Sinclair added the conversion. 

Any thoughts of a comfortable home win were soon dispelled by the Bannockburn pack who upped their game and started to dominate the breakdown, this allowed the visitors halfbacks to kick for territory and keep the Rams pinned back deep in their own half. 

This coupled with the Rams inability to grasp the match official’s interpretation of the offside law at rucks and mauls allowed Bannockburn to put the Rams defence under real pressure.

It was only some heroic tackling which kept the visitors to one converted try and a penalty goal.

With the break approaching, the Rams finally got their hands on the ball and only a dropped pass stopped them changing ends in the lead.

The Rams kicked off the second half confident that if their pack could secure some quality ball the game would be there for the taking. 

The match wore on with the Rams becoming more dominant and it was the visitor’s turn to defend. 

The Bannockburn defence held firm and with 10 minutes to go the Rams were awarded a very kickable penalty.

Skipper, Gav Spowage, to the delight of the spectators elected to kick to touch and go for a try to win the match instead of an easy three points to tie the scores.

From the resultant line out, the Rams crossed the try line twice but unfortunately neither score was awarded.

Although low scoring, this was an intense, exciting and at times frustrating match with a draw probably being a fair result.

Congratulations must go to Bannockburn and credit to the Rams for chasing the win.

The Rams are back in action this weekend when they travel to Grangemouth RFC.