This week’s report has been provided by the courtesy of the Irvine match reporter, Dereck Murdoch. Both sides were not at full strength with five of the Irvine side who started last week’s fine win against Kilmarnock unavailable whereas only three of the Carrick side was unavailable.

Any Burns aficionados who had been suffering last Saturday from an excess of usquabae, haggis, neeps and tatties and had decided to clear their heads by following Tam o Shanter’s trail from the Market Bar in auld Ayr’s toon centre to Souter Johnnie’s cottage might have had a few surprises en route.

Saturday’s game was transferred to the milder climes of Maybole from the frozen east of Dunblane and at the interval Coach Brown must have been wondering whether that decision was one of his better ideas. Like the previous week against Waysider's who had taught the home pack a few lessons in rucking, the McLaren forwards were the quicker to the breakdown and secured most of the breakdown ball.

Saturday’s game against Stewartry was the start of the second half of the season. At Castle Douglas an inexperienced Carrick side had been taught a few lessons and effectively outmuscled by the stronger and more experienced home side losing by four tries to nil.  Stewartry came to Maybole as one of the top three in the league with an outside chance of promotion. The sub plot to the visit was the close connection between player/coach Muir for the visitors and sometime player/coach Brown for the Rick.