KRFC 1XV win opening league fixture away to Lenzie RFC

Bill Barnaby reporting for the twenty third year and in the first league fixture of season 2022-2023 Kilmarnock travelled north of Glasgow to play hosts Lenzie at Viewfield Park. With both sides having recorded a win the previous week in the first round of the National Shield the travelling Kilmarnock support anticipated a close match.

In overcast and drizzly conditions Kilmarnock emerged winners 27-16 in match lacking in champagne rugby from both sides.

Kilmarnock kicked off with the wind and slope advantage, the home side secured the ball set up the ruck and released their backline but were penalised for crossing. Stand-off Craig McWhirter slotted the ball through the uprights to give Killie a 3-0 lead in the second minute of play.

Lenzie won possession from the restart with their backline in action but were pulled back for the first scrum of the day. The heavyweight Kilmarnock pack pushed Lenzie backwards and forced a knock on. The Kilmarnock put in featured a first team appearance for tight head prop Ewan Callaghan and the pack won another penalty from the set piece. Craig McWhirter took a tap penalty linking with Callaghan then Craig Sheppard back to McWhirter who had his clearance kick charged down. The ball was fielded by his brother Ali McWhirter who cleared downfield allowing Lenzie to mount two attacks which faltered with another penalty to Kilmarnock.

From the resulting lineout the Kilmarnock forwards drove upfield and released their backline with Robbie Paxton penalised for holding on the ground. Lenzie won a second penalty as Iain Spiers strayed offside. The resulting lineout throw in was not straight and Kilmarnock won yet another penalty from the set piece. Moments later Lenzie gave away another penalty and Craig McWhirter converted from 38metres out to give Kilmarnock a 6-0 lead after twelve minutes.

From the restart Lenzie won a penalty and another from the next play which was converted to make the score 6-3 after eighteen minutes on the clock. The penalty count continued and Kilmarnock kicked into the Lenzie half with Ian Spiers driving from the lineout followed by a dropped pass to give Lenzie a scrum. A Lenzie blind side attack was stopped as Adam Roy stole the ball and from the ensuing ruck two Lenzie players were injured with their number eight being substituted. Kilmarnock stepped up their attacks in the next ten minutes with winger Chris Milligan unable to hold a high pass going into touch with the line beckoning.

Lenzie won their lineout but kicked possession away with captain Ryan Andrews making ground and linking with his forwards. Kilmarnock won the following scrum and Connor Turnbull passed out to fly half McWhirter who in turn gave a flat pass to Ryan Andrews and the captain burst through in typical fashion and ran 35metres to score below the posts. Craig McWhirter duly converted giving Kilmarnock a 13-3 lead after half an hour.

The tension eased with Kilmarnock searching for a second try but handling errors thwarted both sides. Ewan Callaghan was substituted by Stuart Docherty with no weight loss in the scrum. Half time was reached with the rain at its heaviest and Kilmarnock turned around to face the wind and the uphill slope. 13-3.

The half time pep talk over and it was Lenzie who came out fighting winning a penalty within two minutes to reduce the margin 13-6. The restart kick was fielded by Lenzie and from within their twenty two area the forwards inter passed and linked to their right winger who raced in for a try despite despairing tackles from Kilmarnock . The conversion was made and it was 13-13 with all to play for.

Play resumed and the penalty count continued with the referee cautioning both captains about unsavoury language. A triple substitution by Kilmarnock saw forwards Docherty, Murphy and Limond replaced by Thornton, Callaghan and back row forward Jonathan Goodlet made his first appearance in a Kilmarnock jersey. After fifteen minutes Craig McWhirter narrowly missed a penalty attempt from wide on the right hand side. Kilmarnock continued to benefit from Lenzie giving away penalties and the home side had a player injured after he came in contact with the bulk of Euan Callaghan. This was followed by a Jonathan Goodlet burst from a lineout with Connor Turnbull making a forward pass to Chris Milligan. Lenzie won their scrum and kicked with Ali McWhitrter caught in possession and penalised for holding. The Lenzie stand-off converted the penalty to give Lenzie the lead for the first time after twenty five minutes of play. 16-13.

The travelling support feared the worst however from the restart Lenzie won the ball and kicked to Kilmarnock winger Chris Milligan who broke and passed to Sam Diamond who kicked long upfield. Lenzie cleared to touch on the full giving a lineout to Kilmarnock on the Lenzie twenty two line. Iain Spiers rose to win the ball in the air then drove forward but was forced into touch. Gary Thornton stole the Lenzie throw in and was backed up by Sam Diamond in turn to Robbie Colman who passed to Taylor McHarg and the burly second row barged over for a deserved try.
Craig McWhirter converted, Kilmarnock back in the lead 20-16 with ten minutes remaining.

Kilmarnock continued to attack winning further penalties to gain territory and from a steal in the scrum Kilmarnock broke up the blindside with McHarg passing without looking to the missing winger. A minute later Mcharg was in the clear and his perfect pass to Ryan Andrews was missed however play was pulled back for a scrum to Kilmarnock on the Lenzie twenty two. The scrum was won and scrum half Connor Turnbull broke up the blind side and passed to winger Chris Milligan who barged through two tacklers to score a fine try. Craig McWhirter converted Kilmarnock 27-16 ahead almost on full time.

From the restart Lenzie won a penalty and kicked deep into the Kilmarnock twenty two. A knock on by the home side gave Kilmarnock a scrum and Ryan Andrews broke some thirty metres backed up by Robbie Colman who was bundled into touch. Ian Spiers stole the put in but was adjudged to have jumped too early. The retaken lineout saw Lenzie mount two attacks but were forced into touch. With a minute remaining Kilmarnock won their lineout, kicked to touch and promptly stole the home put in and full time was blown by the referee after six minutes of extra time. Well done Killie.

Captain Ryan Andrews said Kilmarnock made the opposition look good and that some players had put their heads above the parapet. Coach Stuart Pratt echoed the effort made under pressure and asked players to forget today and focus on the massive home game against Cumnock next week.

The teams adjurned to the clubhouse where the Lenzie president and Captain Ruairidh Carmichael made several announcements and presented prizes. Players from the visiting Marr and Kilmarnock teams were invited to partake along with the home sides in a pint boat race. Kilmarnock Man of the Match Iain Spiers and hooker Craig Sheppard duly trounced the opposition downing their pints in a fashion reminiscent of Jimmy “Cuddles” Gibson some fifty years ago.