Five-try Accies sweep aside Stew-Mel challenge
Edinburgh Accies scored five tries in Saturday’s damp, dreich match at Raeburn Place to keep near neighbours, Stewarts-Melville, perilously close to the relegation play-off zone.
Despite sending the kick off straight into touch, Stew-Mel had the majority of the play in the first 10, or so , minutes, but their only reward was a penalty which No. 15,Ross McCann, sent wide of the uprights, but they were puting pressure on the home defence. Pressure which didn’t last too long, however, as Accies gradually came into the game and were awarded a penalty of their own with around 15 minutes played. Some might say that Facundo Beltramino’s kick also slid wide, but the officials awarded the points and, as their opinion is the one which matters, the score stood at 3-0.
Beltramino missed his second attempt a few minutes later, but a clearance kick straight into touch early in the second quarter gave Accies territorial advantage. They quickly moved the ball across the field and won a penalty from the ensuing breakdown. A swiftly taken tap penalty then found No. 8, Laurie Seydak who steamed through to touch down under the posts for the first of his and Accies tries. Beltramino slotted home the conversion to put the home side 10-0 ahead with about 12 minutes of the half left.
Following a period of fairly even play, Stew-Mel, once again, got the bit between their teeth and surged up into Accies’ 22. Ruck after ruck saw them close to and, at one point over the line – held up said the ref – but the defence couldn’t hold out for ever and, off the back of the ‘held-up’ scrum, No. 4, Fraser Morrison barrelled his way over for the try. McCann made no mistake this time and the score now stood at 10-7.
It was, for the visitors, a depressingly short moment in the limelight as Accies scored a runaway try, almost immediately as Seydak ran in from a reasonable distance to score his, and Accies’, second try of the half. Once again, Beltramino couldn’t – and, as it was in front of the posts, daren’t – miss and the 10 point lead was restored at 17-7.
The final couple of minutes of the half saw Accies once again on the push, this time with a fine rolling maul, which got within a few metres of the line. Unfortunately, for Stew-Mel, No. 3, Rhys Morgan, then prevented further progress by pulling the maul to the ground. As this was going on, a bit of ‘afters’ from some off the ball ‘stuff’ was spotted by the officials, thus earning Accies’ No. 2, Callum Black, a yellow and seeing the penalty reversed.
With both sides down to 14 at the start of the second half, there was touch more space on the field, which Accies exploited to the full as the scored with a couple of minutes of the restart. Running back the ball from a early lineout, No. 5 Ronan Seydak, broke through the Stew-Mel defensive line and carried play into the 22. Quick recycle had the ball over to the opposite wing and full back, Saul Melvin-Farr galloped up the right touch line to over in the corner for the third home try. Beltramino added the extras with a fine kick from near the line to stretch the score out to 24-7.
The game then turned once again as Stew-Mel went on the offensive and looked as if they were going to add to their tally as they ran the ball deep into the home 22. However, the well worked passing and rucking play stopped working when the ball was lost forward a few metres out courtesy of a fine tackle back by an Accies player.
It was soon back to the script for Accies as they returned to the job in hand and spent the final 20 minutes hammering on the door of the visiting defence. Stew-Mel lost a second player to yellow for deliberate foul play, and this gave the home side all the encouragement they needed to carry on scoring.
10 minutes from time, another pitch-wide passing move put No. 10, Iain Chisolm through a gap for the bonus point try. Beltramino was, once again, accurate from the line and the score was 31-7.
With less than five minutes to go, Accies consolidated their encampment and, following on from two five-metre scrums, No. 7, Jamie Sole, powered over the line for the fifth home side try. With Beltramino’s kick sailing through, the – final – score was now 38-7 and, with darkness descending, the referee blew up a short time later to bring to a close, what had turned out to be, a fairly one-sided affair in Stockbridge.
Images from the match will appear here over the next few days
