Merchiston win U16 Schools Cup Final
4 Dec 2019The U16 Schools Cup Final took place at BT Murrayfield on Wednesday as Dollar Academy played Merchiston Castle on the international pitch.
Both teams were well represented at the final with plenty of noise greeting the players as they ran on to the pitch.
It was the Edinburgh-based side who took the lead though the boot of Matthew De Villiers after they were awarded a penalty 30m out.
Dollar struck back with the first try of the evening. Full back Robert Disborough finished off in the corner, but the conversion was missed.
Merchiston soon hit back as their captain Rudi Brown showed his power to brush off a couple of tackles and then score on the 30 minute mark, De Villiers added the extras.
With the wind in their sails, it took just four minutes for Merchiston to go over again, this time Amaan Raza the try scorer followed by another successful conversion by De Villiers to take a 5-17 lead into the break.
HALF-TIME: Dollar 5-17 Merchiston Castle
It was the Edinburgh side that continued to impress in the second half as they moved through the gears. Captain Brown was at the centre of the action once again, collecting a kick through before feeding Raza who waltzed his way through the defence to score. The conversion was slotted.
The result was put beyond any doubt as Tom Currie crashed over from close-range. De Villiers added the conversion before stroking another penalty over the posts shortly afterwards.
With only minutes remaining, it was fitting that Brown was to add the cherry on the cake with a wonderful solo run down the right touchline to glide in his second score of the match.
De Villiers finished off a fine evening to convert and ensure that Merchiston would be the 2019 U16 Schools Cup winners.
Merchiston Director of Rugby Roddy Deans, “Two very good teams out there, it was a wee bit edgy out there and both a bit nervous. I think we were a bit lucky that we scored just before half time and then really quickly at the start of the second half.
“I’m really proud of how they’ve worked hard as a group and really come on tactically as a young side. You can see that they’re really happy to have won that one.”
FULL-TIME: Dollar 5-41 Merchiston Castle
Player of the Match : Amaan Raza (Merchiston)
Dollar Academy: Robert Disborough, Aonaich Peden, Lyle Hunter, Archie Kelly, Leo Cheng, Jamie McKillop, Evan Rennie, Joseph Bery, Gonzalo Luas Garcia, Alastair Licence (c), Roddy Walker, Ben Forshaw, Craig Sharpe, Samuel Wallace, Bruce Shearer.
Replacements: Gregor Lumsden, Joshua Weir, Zac Jones, Tom Milling Smith, Alex Tiley, Jamie Walker, Oliver Williams.
Merchiston Castle: Drew McCall Smith, Arran Coyne, Luke McCarroll, Alex Callaway, Amaan Raza, Frederick Connolly, Matthew De Villiers, Andrew Scanlan, James Sibbald, Robbie Deans, Glen Crawford, Felix McLean, Lachlan Ferguson, Tom Currie, Rudi Brown (c).
Replacements: Jack Warner, Max Gray, Jamie Hay, Eamont Hunter, Mackenzie Brown, Jonathan Lima Napier, Gregor Tasoren.
Referee: Grant Stephen
