"A game that promised to be competitive did not disappoint but the Steamers held on to deny the Bulls an important away win"
In his short stay on the field James Devlin took the game away from the Tumult Bulls scoring his 3rd Try in the 35th minute of the game and although he was rested inn the 2nd half he had done enough to get theSteamers into a strong position that the Bulls could not overrun.
Devlin started the Steamers assault in the 4th minute with a try which he then converted.
Steamers 7 Bulls 0.
The game always promised to be competitive and 10 minutes later the Bulls were over for their first try which was uncovered.
Steamers 7 Bulls 5.
Soon the Steamers were back on the attack and when the Bulls were penalised close to their line a quick tap penalty saw Andrew "Speedie" Scott powering over close to the posts in his first appearance at Murrayfield in 2017.
Delving had no problem adding the extra points.Steamers 14 Bulls 5.
The Bulls hit back and the Steamers seemed a bit disorganised in their back defence allowing the Bulls efficient back division to score twice in the next 10 minutes. The second of these was a length of the filed effect which really should have been snuffed out in their own quarter.
With 25 minutes gone the Bulls hit the lead 17 - 14.
However Devlin crossed twice and Jacob O'Riain scored on the half time bell to give the locals a handy 12 point lead.
At the break Steamers lead 29 - Bulls 17.
The second period was a scrappy affair with Steamers first extending their lead curtesy of Jacob O'Riian crashing over again and then the Bulls adding 2 late tries to make the final score Steamers 36 Bulls 29.
The Steamers scrum was often under pressure but the lineout, although predicable was efficient.Their talented back division is their main weapon. Musara needs to work out how to get them the ball with good opportunities. I suspect that solid defence creating opportunities for counter attack may be their best chances. Certainly Devlin and Manion (working with the rest of the back division) pose a significant threat to disorganised defences.
Musara says he is hoping to get his charges thinking further ahead than the next phase and that would be a good development. Wallaby legend, Cyril Towers, once said that "rugby was chess played at speed" and this is true. Chess is seldom won by one move but often won by a strategy that corners the opponent into defensive strategy that eventually leads to checkmate. Rugby is the same. Play a certain course and the defence has not alternative except to respond in a predicable manner. When that happens you win.
The Steamers seem to be on an upward trend. There is no reason why they can't be a force in SIRU in 2017. Their fate (as always) is in their hands. They have some really big challenges ahead and at some of them they will fall. However a season is seldom won or lost on a game along the way. The last game matters and you have to be there to win.
Go Steamers!
Devlin started the Steamers assault in the 4th minute with a try which he then converted.
Steamers 7 Bulls 0.
The game always promised to be competitive and 10 minutes later the Bulls were over for their first try which was uncovered.
Steamers 7 Bulls 5.
Soon the Steamers were back on the attack and when the Bulls were penalised close to their line a quick tap penalty saw Andrew "Speedie" Scott powering over close to the posts in his first appearance at Murrayfield in 2017.
Delving had no problem adding the extra points.Steamers 14 Bulls 5.
The Bulls hit back and the Steamers seemed a bit disorganised in their back defence allowing the Bulls efficient back division to score twice in the next 10 minutes. The second of these was a length of the filed effect which really should have been snuffed out in their own quarter.
With 25 minutes gone the Bulls hit the lead 17 - 14.
However Devlin crossed twice and Jacob O'Riain scored on the half time bell to give the locals a handy 12 point lead.
At the break Steamers lead 29 - Bulls 17.
The second period was a scrappy affair with Steamers first extending their lead curtesy of Jacob O'Riian crashing over again and then the Bulls adding 2 late tries to make the final score Steamers 36 Bulls 29.
The Steamers scrum was often under pressure but the lineout, although predicable was efficient.Their talented back division is their main weapon. Musara needs to work out how to get them the ball with good opportunities. I suspect that solid defence creating opportunities for counter attack may be their best chances. Certainly Devlin and Manion (working with the rest of the back division) pose a significant threat to disorganised defences.
Musara says he is hoping to get his charges thinking further ahead than the next phase and that would be a good development. Wallaby legend, Cyril Towers, once said that "rugby was chess played at speed" and this is true. Chess is seldom won by one move but often won by a strategy that corners the opponent into defensive strategy that eventually leads to checkmate. Rugby is the same. Play a certain course and the defence has not alternative except to respond in a predicable manner. When that happens you win.
The Steamers seem to be on an upward trend. There is no reason why they can't be a force in SIRU in 2017. Their fate (as always) is in their hands. They have some really big challenges ahead and at some of them they will fall. However a season is seldom won or lost on a game along the way. The last game matters and you have to be there to win.
Go Steamers!