Callum Kerr @ Millbrae
The Ayrshire Bulls secured their spot in the 2022 FOSROC Super6 Final this evening with a 17-0 victory over the Boroughmuir Bears.
It was no plain sailing, with only a single score separating the two for almost an hour. It’s a return to the DAM Health Stadium for the Bulls, who will now get the chance to defend their league title against Watsonians next Sunday (30th).
The Bears were dealt an early blow when Adam Scott found himself in the sin bin after five minutes. The centre was chasing a high ball but misjudged his challenge and took out Liam McNamara in the air.
With a man advantage the Bulls were making in-roads and it didn’t take long to open the scoring. A Bull farmer by day, a Bulls player by night, Andy Nimmo showed grunt to muscle his way over for his first score of the season. Richie Simpson’s conversion made it 7-0.
What the game gave in intensity, the first half lacked in action. A back-and-forth inside the two 22s unfolded until the break with neither side convincing. The best chance came for the Bears, when a loose ball wasn’t dealt with allowing Scott McGinley to race away. He looked home and dry before Liam McNamara managed to hunt him down and wrestle the ball into touch.
Half-Time: Ayrshire Bulls 7-0 Boroughmuir Bears
The second half started in a similar sluggish manner, with a soft pitch providing uneven grounding for the backs.
The Bulls’ advantage throughout the match came through the set-piece, in particular a superiority at scrum-time. The next score came through utilising just that. With a five-metre scrum the pack marched towards the line, giving Blair Macpherson the easiest of touches for a score. Richie Simpson’s conversion marked his last involvement before making way for Will Hunt. The youngster has featured in eight games to date for the Bulls and is yet to miss from the kicking tee.
The final act came from Hunt, who took every second available to wind up a penalty effort, making sure it slotted through the uprights on the stroke of full-time.
Full-Time: Ayrshire Bulls 17-0 Boroughmuir Bears
In what was a bruising encounter, Archie Smeaton picked up FOSROC Player of the Match honours after a monumental eighty-minute shift in the engine room.