Rugby: Cambus frustration at another call-off

Dec 12 2012 by Kenny Smith, Rutherglen Reformer

Cambuslang Rugby Club coach Scott Forrest is resigned to the fact his side are unlikely to play again in 2012.

Cambus haven’t play a game since November 10, when they beat Clydebank 20-12 at Coats Park, but their three league fixtures since then, against Carrick at home, away to Strathaven, and Strathendrick at home, have all fallen foul of the weather conditions.

This Saturday, the side are due to host promotion challengers Annan at Coats Park, with a 2pm kick off, but the coach fears that this fixture will go the way of their other recently scheduled games.

Scott said: “I can’t see it changing now.

“Last Saturday’s game, against Strathendrick at home, there was no chance it was going to be on, even though it got a bit milder towards the end of the week, but even though it rain a bit on Thursday and Friday, the pitch was still solid on Saturday.

“Our seconds were supposed to be at Garnock on Saturday, so 10 of the firsts were going to go down there to get a game.

“Garnock called us twice during the week, to say the fixture was going to be on, so we were a bit surprised with the way the weather had been. Then we got a call at 11.40 on Saturday morning to say the game was cancelled as their pitch was frozen. That was a wee bit annoying.

“Instead, we tried to do some training at the club, but it was verging on dangerous, so instead we just messed about for a bit.

“Even though it had been raining on Thursday, there wasn’t any pooling water on the surface, it was that solid.

“Unfortunately, the forecast for this week is to get even colder, and I can’t see this Saturday’s game going ahead. Two days ago, the pitch was absolutely rock solid, and it’s been even colder since then.

“It looks like it needs two or three days with the temperature going up to about 10 degrees, to sort it out fully, but I just don’t think that’s going to happen. “

Like many other coaches across the country, Scott is having to find a way to keep his players motivated through the winter months.

He said: “It’s tough. It’s really tough.

“As I’ve said before, it would be very different if we knew there was an actual break in the season, as you could see what the weather was like on a Monday, and say to the boys, ‘look, we’ve no game on Saturday, just take the week off,’ but when we’ve got games scheduled all the way through, we can’t take that chance.

“We’ve not been able to train at the club this year on the training pitches, so instead we’ve been going up to the artificial surface in Fernhill, which isn’t ideal, I’m afraid.

“I don’t think the weather is going to break this weekend, and we’re scheduled to be away the week after, so who knows when we’ll next play again?”