Madras return with a crushing victory

Madras's 2016 side was delighted to get their season off to a flier.

Arbroath...............................7

At the end of last season the future of Madras Rugby was hanging in the balance.

A drop in player numbers meant the club was unable to fulfil its league fixtures and ended the campaign early.

But those behind the scenes at Madras were not prepared to let the club slip into the history books and started about a summer of rebuilding.

At the weekend their hard work in recruiting new players and forging stronger links in the community paid off as the club kicked off in the Caledonia Division 3 Midlands (north).

Arbroath were the visitors to Station Park and Madras started the game strongly with the backs interlinking beautifully to put debutant winger Cammie Durie in for a try.

Arbroath struggled to cope with Madras’s fast paced expansive rugby which led to a further three first half tries from Daniel Watters, Daniel Cooper and Euan Roger.

Arbroath managed to drag a score back before half time but Madras started the second half in excellent fashion with a sensational interception by Mark Methven, running the length of the pitch to score under the posts. Eddy Soulsby showed blistering pace down the wing leading to a second half hat-trick.

Madras closed out the game with a final try from flanker Storm Hughes.

Madras’s Director of rugby, Colin McAdam, said: “Excellent team work and communication led to a robust defence and excellent continuity play.”

Club captain Graham Smith was just as pleased with the outcome.

He said: “We have been working very hard all summer with new coach John Farren who has been a great addition, all the boys really like him and are really buying into his way of doing things.

“Morale within the team is at an all time high, everyone just wants to get along and play rugby with their team”

On Saturday Madras visit Stobswell.