Tigers prove too powerful for Eagles in League Grand Final

Published on Sunday 8 August 2010 17:09

CARLUKE TIGERS won the Scotland Rugby League Grand Final edging out Edinburgh Eagles 18-10 at Braidholm, home of GHA Rugby Club.

In perfect conditions, the game was played at a ferocious pace with neither side giving an inch for the first 25 minutes, with the ball changing possession after every set of six, with few errors from either side.

Carluke made the first breakthrough with a link of quality passes releasing Kyle Matheson on the right wing to score under the posts, with Ross Bryan converting Carluke's Jamie McAulay battered through to fall over the Edinburgh line within five minutes of the first score, but Bryan failed to convert. The game stopped for ten minutes after Chris Howieson suffered a fractured cheekbone in a collision with Giles Lomax.

In the second half Mike Wallace charged on a tight angle cutting through the Carluke defence, scoring ten metres to the left of the uprights. Gregor Porteous failed to convert. Edinburgh pressured Carluke, forcing three consecutive penalties, but Carluke's defence stood firm, denying the Eagles a score.

Edinburgh knocked on two metres from the Carluke line Kyle Matheson gathered the ball and ran 80 metres up field, dancing through the Edinburgh defence, before offloading to Ross Bryan who scored under the Eagles 'posts. Bryan failed to convert. Edinburgh responded with a flurry of skilful play releasing Gregor Porteous to run 30 metres to score under the Tigers' posts. Porteous converted to bring the Eagles back to within four points of the Tigers, but with minutes to go Ross Bryan received an offload two metres from the Edinburgh try line and managed to force his way over.