We are very proud of our U16 and U18 boys who are heading to Scottish Gas Murrayfield to compete in finals day this weekend! The U16 boys face Peebles at 3:30pm in the Shield Final, whilst the U18 boys take on Currie in the Cup Final at 5:30pm. It’s a full day of County action at Murrayfield, and we caught up with the coaches and captains looking to lead their teams to victory on Sunday. Here’s what they had to say…
U16 Boys Captain – Finn McIlwraith
- What do you think has been the team’s biggest strength this season?
- “The team’s biggest strength so far this season has been staying committed and regathering ourselves after some unfortunate close losses.”
- What are you most looking forward to about Sunday?
- “What we look forward to on Sunday is that we have the experience to play in such a big day in club rugby and to play a really exciting game against Peebles.”
- What would winning the final mean to you and your teammates?
- “Winning the final this Sunday would mean a huge amount for all of us for getting something to show for all of the hard work we’ve been putting in throughout the season so far.”
U16 Boys Head Coach – Allan Imrie
- How have you found the season up until this point?
- “After a strong performance against Dundee we were just beaten by a very strong mature Cambuslang team. We played some excellent rugby in that game but they took the home advantage and ultimately pathway to the Cup. Our quarter final game in the Shield was against a very good Dunfermline team who started strongly however we closed that game out and scored a few great team tries. The semi final against Biggar again saw our squad cope with some intense physicality at the gain line, however we took our opportunities in the first half and defended strongly much of the second half showing real resilience.”
- What kind of challenge do Peebles present on Sunday?
- “We fully expect Peebles to be another tough test and the game will be won and lost on the strength of the defence and competition at the break down. In all our games this season we have attempted to play rugby for all over pitch. The players have full permission to attack ball in hand from anywhere. It’s going to be a great game.”
U18 Boys Captain – Daniel Casserly
- What do you think has been the team’s biggest strength this season so far?
- Our biggest strength I think has been our defence this season. In the games where it mattered our linking and relentlessness have been really good, keeping a team like Boroughmuir who have been scoring tries for fun to zero points in the second half of our quarter final was a perfect example of this and I think that’s really what won it for us.
- What are you most looking forward to about Sunday?
- I’m most looking forward to leading my team out the tunnel at Murrayfield and just playing with that atmosphere, and obviously winning the game and lifting the trophy up in the stands.
- What would winning the final mean to you and your teammates?
- I know for a fact that every one of the boys will just feel proud to go out and represent their team and bring home the trophy. We have all put in so much effort to get to where we are, not just the players but everyone at the club, and I think when the team win on Sunday all that hard work will have payed off which I think will just be an unreal feeling for everyone.
U18 Boys Head Coach – Stuart Imrie
- How have you found the cup journey up until this point
- “The u18s cup journey this year has been excellent. Getting back to the final was one of our season targets and we’ve played some exciting rugby getting there. We started off with pool games against Falkirk and Jed Thistle where our attack was excellent and we were very dangerous especially off turnovers. In the cup quarter final we were drawn against Boroughmuir at Bridgehaugh. B’muir have been the gold standard in youth club rugby the past 5 or so seasons so we were very excited by this challenge. (They beat us in the cup final last season). We showed great resilience in this game winning 15-14 after trailing at half time 0-14. With a very young squad we took a while to settle attacking wise, but our defence, which we have worked tirelessly on this season, won us the game. Having Scotland squad members like Captain Daniel Casserly and Layton Bryce on the pitch that day really help us set the bench of how we want to defence.
Unfortunately Layton has a shoulder injury and will miss the rest of the season but he is a player who I look forward to following his career closely.
Our semi final took us to Hawick, we knew it would be another tough and physical challenge, but I was happy with how we managed the game and were very paitient in our play on both side of the ball and we took point when we could.
As a coach I’m very proud of this squad, they are a very talented group with a nice blend of experience. Im hoping they can enjoy Sunday and express themselves on the pitch.”
- What kind of challenge do Currie present on Sunday
- “Currie are an organised and well drilled team who have threats across the pitch. Having played them twice already this year we know that they finish games strongly.They have beaten us in both games with them having a really strong final quarter of the game.
We know that our defence is the key to this game. Stopping them at source and winning the gain line will go a long way to determining who wins on Sunday.
We’ve trained really well throughout this cup run and we’re ready to show everyone what we can do.”
There are still some spaces on our supporters buses to Murrayfield! Be there to back the boys as they fight for their trophies. Use the link below to book your space:
https://app.fanbaseclub.com/Fan/Tickets/SelectType?fixtureId=8847&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAab4u5wInavNMShuBiU_KIRAe5irowA2sen5OXzSUuLSIoM43dyyQvW_luA_aem_IA3mrptUyKYOhBbAvarW8w