Caithness enjoy a try fest to post opening victory
Caithness...........................................60
Morgan Academy FPs ......................14
THE Greens opened their account in this year’s RBS Caledonia Division One campaign with a trouble-free rout of their visitors from Dundee.
They did not have to be at their best to overcome opponents looking to stabilise after demotion last term from Championship League B.
Judging by Saturday’s outing at Millbank, Morgan have still to address the shortcomings which saw them ship an average 48 points in losing 17 of their 18 league fixtures.
Caithness strike runners frequently pierced the first line of defence and were untroubled by any auxiliary cover on a free run to the line.
The fourth bonus try was bagged within 20 minutes as Morgan, who travelled without any replacements, changed their focus to damage limitation.
Caithness ended up with nine touchdowns, with three of them claimed by skipper Stevie Campbell in a man of the match performance. While a perfect antidote to their narrow opening defeat away to Dunfermline, the display was marred by a high toll of unforced errors and a worryingly high penalty count, particularly in the second half.
The Greens were quick to stamp their authority on proceedings with Evan Sutherland and Campbell crossing thanks to clean line breaks.
Centre Marc Anderson then finished off a fine handling sequence down the left flank before a sweet reverse pass from scrum half turned flanker Graham Fryer released Sutherland on an arcing to the line for the number eight’s second of the afternoon.
The visitors responded with a score when number eight Jon Hicks was foiled just short of the line before scrum half Jamie Haughan forced his way over. Graham Kiddie landed the extras.
Before the break, Campbell crossed again after he found a gap in the opposing lines after a line-out.
Two conversions and a penalty from full back Gary Mackay boosted the interval advantage to 32-7.
Two tries in the opening three minutes of the second half ended any prospect of a contest. After winning the restart, Danny Gordon was put into space and the centre went in from the halfway line.
The team try of the day followed when a tap-and-go penalty saw Sutherland, Norman Foubister, Reiss Coghill and Campbell display slick hands to send Andy Morris over near the squash club corner.
A sparky break from scrum half Gordie MacLeod was the catalyst for a long-range attack down the right flank in which Coghill almost put right wing Douglas Webster in for a score.
After the early fireworks, the match degenerated into a stop-go affair with both sides guilty of regular infringements at the breakdown.
Ref Jonathan MacKinnon took centre stage as he awarded a succession of penalties for illegal interventions in rucks and for scrummage violations. Mr MacKinnon made a rod for his own back by failing to follow up these calls with card sanctions until his late yellow carding of Morgan wing John Gorman.
The tedious spectacle was brightened up by a late scoring burst, with Coghill and Campbell crossing for converted tries in between an interception touchdown for visiting full back Lewis Campbell, which Kiddie converted.
Caithness: G. Mackay, D. Webster, M. Anderson, D. Gordon, J. Sinclair, N. Foubister, G. McLeod, C. Smith, H. Coghill, M. Nicolson, A. Morris, R. Coghill, G. Fryer, E. Sutherland, S. Campbell (cpt). Replacements (used) – P. Healey, S. McIntosh, L. Stewart and D. McCarthy.
Morgan: L. Campbell, J. Gorman, B. Keillor, M. Nivnitoga-Bulaveilioto, P. Collins, G. Kiddie, J. Haughan, T. Johnston, I. Cavanagh, F. MacCuish, A. Peters, P. Rugg, J. Seffen, J. Hills, L. Haughey.
Referee – Jonathan MacKinnon.