Under 18s hit teamwork targets in attack

For the first time this season, the Under 18s managed to field a twenty two strong squad against Highland. Having been plagued by a large number of injuries the squad is finally starting to see players return and it is expected that we will get even more back before the second half of the league starts at the end of the month.

The game had two traits. The first trait was the best attacking structure we have seen this season. After the first seven or eight minutes the young Bulls started to let the ball do the work, and as they did the holes started to appear in the Highland defence. The scoring was fairly free flowing over a twenty minute period in the middle of the half and Hamilton looked reasonably comfortable. It was evident from the play that when we employed our attacking structure we scored but when we broke from that, with a more individual style we were not as successful. As we were retaining a lot of ball they were not require to work as hard in defence but when required, our defence looked solid.

In the second half the second trait appeared. This took the form of putting the team under pressure by not playing our defensive structure with the same heads up approach that we were using in attack. In the same way that we looked for spaces to attack we should also have been looking to see where Highland were out numbering us in our defence. Highland snatched a few scores bringing them within 14 points of Hamilton’s 34 points tally and with five minutes to go Highland exploited a blind said that was under strength and broke clear to score leaving three minutes on the board. Taking their mind off the process and a focusing on the score, the young Bulls made the same mistake again, in not working round the corner in defence, Highland then once again, broke to score finishing the game as a draw.
Even although it was a draw there were a lot of positives in the way the team kept their attacking structure and attacked as a team. The fact that there is that ability to play as a team, gives the coaches the surety that it is only a matter of time before this squad of young Bulls start to gel in defence as well.

Thank you to Highland for a very entertaining game and well done to them for fighting till the end. Thank you to our referee Darroch Ramsey, all our helpers in the kitchen and pitch side and also thank you to a large support who watched a very good game of rugby.