Stewartry posted a warning of their intentions with the best possible start to the new league campaign.
Their 43-3 victory over Carrick wracked up an impressive 40 point differential as they ran up the highest opening day score in a match full of incident to sit top of Tennent’s West division one.
With thunder and lightning forecast, Carrick struck with a lightning first minute penalty to go 3-0 ahead.
Stewartry soon thundered back though with T J McCarney crashing over under the posts in four minutes for the first try, Andrew Picken adding the conversion. 3-7.
It was seven minutes until the first scrum. That saw a massive Blacks effort drive the Carrick pack back several metres before number eight Stevie Hogg picked up and barged over. 3-12.
David Maxwell won a lineout in seventeen minutes giving Hogg his second try but again the conversion was missed. 3-17.
Hogg was over for his hat trick in just twenty minutes prompting questions about a club record. Andrew Picken was on target with the conversion. 3-24.
Then Picken’s last man tackle prevented a Carrick touchdown.
Thirty three minutes in and another big scrum saw McCarney break clear for his second try, Picken again converting. 3-3.1
Carrick’s woes worsened with a yellow card for dangerous play and then high scoring Hogg - last season’s top try man - was over for his fourth just on the break, Picken adding the extras. 3-38.
Hogg made way for Tom McLean at the start of the second half which, with the Carrick hooker injured, started with uncontested scrums.
The Blacks found themselves under growing pressure when Chris Root was yellow carded for holding play on the ground. Carrick made it over the Stewartry line but the ball was held up. Then, on the hour, a skirmish saw the returned Root red carded.
Stewartry squad: A Picken, M Wright, R Austin, T J McCartney, A Moffat, J Picken (c), A Nicholson, M McCulloch, K McGuire, I McMorran, D Maxwell, J McCulloch, C Root, A Lindsey, S Hogg, J Forsyth, T McLean, H Carson, R Cunningham.
