To keep this report short and sweet. It was a very bad day at the office as the 1st XV slumped to their 3rd heaviest league defeat as they went down 85-3 to a rampant Kilmarnock side.

With numerous players unavailable for selection it was a slightly changed lineup from the team that beat Cumnock last weekend but unfortunately the lads has no answer as the hosts ran in 7 tries in the first half and 6 in the 2nd.

Every season in West 1 there is usually a team that seems to transform themselves over the close season and Kilmarnock are the team this season. I very much doubt that the Ayrshire club will lose a match all year.

For Annan, plus points were 1st XV debuts for Thomas Martindale and John James Mackay while Danny Lockerby made his first start for the team after 2 sub appearances back in 2019. Plus Andrew Jancey made an appearance back in the 1st XV when he came on in the 2nd half. AJ’s 314 appearance for the 1st XV.

Unfortunately there were numerous injuries to add to the ever growing list with Aaron Carmichael and Fraser McMillan going off and numerous players looking like the walking wounded at the end of the match.

Every team has one of these matches were the opposition click and nothing seems to be able to stop them. However the 1st XV are still in a better spot in the league than this time last year with more wins and points and with the exception of Kilmarnock, the other 8 teams are all eminently beatable and a top half finish/even top 3 is still a very achievable aim for the lads.

The team take a break from league action this week as they entertain East Kilbride in the National Shield this Saturday at Violetbank.

Annan 1st XV squad: 1 Ryan Glass 2 Murray Forbes 3 Kieran Warrick (C) 4 Frazer Hope 5 Callum Smith 6 Ewan Campbell 7 Wallace Alexander 8 Ryan Armstrong 9 Josh Whiteside 10 Fraser McMillan 11 Alex Jones 12 James Kirby 13 Aitken Render 14 Danny Lockerby 15 Aaron Carmichael

Subs: 16 Kyle McRoberts 17 John Glendining 18 Thomas Martaindale 19 Andrew Jancey 20 Lex Stevenson 21 John James Mackay (all used)