Ramsey Rugby Club beat Western Vikings 49-10 at a chilly QEII High School in the Manx Shield on Saturday.

The northerners led 20-5 at the mid-point and accelerated away thereafter.

Ramsey started with determination as skipper Matt Meechan fielded the kick off and powered downfield for the Vikings’ line. He was stopped short but was able to deliver quick ball which fizzed its way to the right wing for Adam Dempsey to score.

Four minutes later it was Meechan again, this time working in a support role on the left touchline and finishing off for a try of his own and a 10-0 lead.

This became 15-0 in the 10th minute when some slick Ramsey hands wide to Dempsey again and he dived in for his second.

A lesser team might have capitulated, but Vikings are made of sterner stuff and they fought back. Ramsey were caught offside and Harry Goodwin boomed a penalty into touch to give his side a five-metre lineout. Captain Ed Knight snaffled the ball and drove over for Vikings’ first try of the day.

Ten scoreless minutes then passed before the game broke again. Ramsey’s big centre Will Millsopp ran strongly into the Vikings 22, he looked for support and found captain Meechan close by and he dived in for his second of the match to leave his side 20-5 halfway through this 60-minute match.

Ramsey’s Leo McVicar entered the fray in the 31st minute and his senior debut started at a million miles an hour as he chased around the park like a terrier. When he finally got his hands on the ball, it was five metres out and there was no stopping the big fella from that kind of distance.

But Vikings hit back again as Knight danced through some poor tackling to notch up his second and reduce the Ramsey lead to 25-10, albeit temporarily.

The northerners then ended the game with three tries in quick succession. Millsopp started the ball rolling when he crashed in from close range in the 44th minute.

From the restart Meechan made one of his trademark big carries, Owen Bevan acted as the link and he sent Millsopp in for his second in wo minutes. He also converted his own try.

From the restart, Vikings attempted to run the ball back but a floated pass was intercepted by Ramsey’s Adam Dunlop and he found quick man Danny Howard who raced clear to score and make the Ramsey lead 42-0.

There was time for one one more and McVicar rounded off his debut with his second try of the game following a close-range rumble. He even added the conversion too.

Douglas Casuals win at Ballakilley

The Casuals beat Southern Nomads 46-7 in the friendly at Ballakilley Park.

Rob Craine picked up Nomads’ only try, with Mark Young converting on a difficult day for Nomads after learning of the sad passing of player Sami Benbatoul earlier last week.

The teams had a minute’s applause for Sami before the kick-off and celebrated his life in the style he would appreciate in the Station Hotel Port St Mary afterwards. Rest easy Sami.

RESULTS

Saturday, February 15:

Regional Two North West

Northwich 12-16 Douglas

Counties Three ADM Lancashire/Cheshire

Garstang 104-7 Vagabonds

Manx Shield

Western Vikings 10-49 Ramsey

Friendlies

PDMS Southern Nomads 7-46 Douglas Casuals

IoM Academy U16 20-45 Keighley U16

DAVE CHRISTIAN