Caithness on top in hard-fought Cadzow cup clash
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John Miller of the Greens tries to burst through the select defence. www.jamesgunn.co.uk
THE Caithness senior rugby season ended on a high on Saturday with the staging of the Sinclair Cadzow Memorial Cup.
Postponed from Boxing Day, the match traditionally pits Caithness 1sts versus a composite side of exiles and students.
On this occasion, the format was revised with the opposition provided by a guest XV selected by former Green Andy Knight, who was celebrating his stag weekend in his native county.
Included were his brother and former Boroughmuir forward, Peter, and Sinclair’s brother, Alistair Cadzow, who travelled from his adopted home in New Zealand.
The invitation side were soon 14-0 behind with tries from Hamish Coghill and Norman Foubister.
Their powerful pack, however, soon took control and a brace of tries from Cadzow helped them establish a 24-19 lead midway through the second half.
A try from winger Gordie Macleod briefly had the Greens level and a late Caithness surge produced tries from Graham Poke and Liam Brims, who also kicked eight points.
That secured the Greens a 33-24 victory after a pulsating, hard-fought contest enjoyed by the large touchline support. Earlier, a selection of veterans, including Andy’s father, Peter, had played against the older rugby playing members of the stag party.
The visitors won a game which was soured by a nasty injury sustained by the former Greens record-scoring winger, Graeme Ross.
The Wick Airport fireman broke and dislocated an ankle which was operated on the following day in Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
Caithness 1sts: G. Poke, G. Macleod, N. Foubister, W. Mill, M. Oswald, L. Brims, G. Fryer, M. Gunn, D. Pottinger, H. Coghill, A. Morris (cpt), J. Miller, P. Nicolson, E. Sutherland, S. Campbell. Replacements: R. Coghill, A. Nicolson and C. Spargo.
