Stirling have now won three top flight titles in four years, this one backing up the 2022-23 and 2023024 successes.

“I am absolutely delighted with the win,” County head coach Mark Ainsworth said. “The conditions affected the game and our game plan and in years gone by I might have been worried about that, but not now because we can play a number of different ways. We have slick backs, but we also have some real nuggety forwards who just carry and carry and get us on the front foot and they did that here.

“I think the game was won in the first half because they had the wind and only scored one try while we got one before half-time, our third, and just built and built from there.

“Going unbeaten in the league this season was never a goal, we just wanted to win the league again and push our standards higher. This is a great squad, they work hard and they gel together so well.”

Watsonians got off to a good start here when they opened the scoring after just three minutes. After being awarded a couple of penalties, they advanced towards the try line and then the ball was shipped wide, with centre Briar McNamara feeding winger Cieron Bell who dived in at the left corner. It was not converted and it was 5-0 to the visitors.

Five minutes later, County levelled things up when the ball was shipped wide to winger Phimister and, normally known for her footwork, this time she showed good strength to barrel through a defender and then get away from other opponents to score out wide. Stand-off Ceitidh Ainsworth then converted to make it 7-5.

That score got Stirling onto the front foot and they had numerous phases in the Watsonians 22, but in the 17th minute the visiting skipper Rachel Law, a scrum-half/full-back by trade now playing openside, won a crucial turnover to avert the danger.

County scored their second try at the end of the first quarter, some good forward drives setting things up for back-row Bogan to go over from short range. It was unconverted and it was 12-5.

In the tough conditions both sets of players were giving it everything, but it was the big County ball carriers and pack in general who were having more joy and Watsonians changed both their props in the lead up to half-time to try and get more parity at set piece time.

A moment of magic then got Stirling a crucial third try just before the break.

After a number of carries in close quarters near the try line, the nians defence was standing up pretty well.

However, they were defending narrowly and Ainsworth spotted that and sent a cross-field kick over for Phimister. The winger kept her eye on the ball, took it cleanly and went over for her second score. It was unconverted and they were 17-5 up at the interval.

County then scored their fourth try just after the break, again their forward carries making inroads and tight-head Rachel Cox went over. It was not converted, but at 22-5 up they were well in control.

For the rest of the half pretty much, County were in ‘Sonians territory, but, although they were tiring, the visitors did try to defend the try line valiantly.

Into the last 20 minutes County’s pace and power just became too much and further tries came from Bogan and Phimister (2), the second of which she ran in from her own half. One of the three was converted by Ainsworth and it was 39-5 with 10 minutes to go.

Late on Hannah Ramsay, the stand-off, scored a consolation try for Watsonians converted by McNamara, but it was County’s day as it finished 39-12.

Watsonians head coach Bruce Millar said: “We started so well with the early try and with the wind we maybe could have put them under more pressure in that first half, but they have a pack who just eat up metres and when they get on top they are hard to stop.

“At times we struggled to get the ball back from them and then their third try just before half-time was a blow. The try just after half-time was then a killer and although the girls defended and defended for the rest of the game and left nothing out there it just wasn’t to be.

“Credit to County, they have set the standard all season long.”

 

Teams –

Stirling County: S Haddow; E Norval, C McLaren, B Henderson, S Phimister; C Ainsworth, J Murdoch©; P Aitken-Robinson, A Sutcliffe, R Cox, N Logan, S Murphy, H Bogan, C Ainsworth, S Taganekurukuru. Subs used: E Rae, A Hopwood, G Thomson, D Morrison, H Davis, R Douglas, S Murdoch.

Watsonians: N Marlow; D Lawrie, B McNamara, J Lyons, C Bell; H Ramsay, E Love; A Tucker, K Craig, C Abernethy, K King, N Howat, L Russell, R Law©, F Walker. Subs used: M Whitehouse, T Tawake, H McMahon, K Borthwick, G Young, B Nelson, A Conchie.

Referee: Rosie Evans

 

Scorers –

Stirling County: Tries: Phimister 4, Bogan 2, Cox; Cons: C Ainsworth 2.

Watsonians: Tries: Bell, Ramsay; Cons: McNamara.

Scoring sequence (Stirling County first): 5-0; 5-5; 7-5; 12-5; 17-5 (h-t) 22-5; 27-5; 32-5; 34-5; 39-5; 39-10; 39-12.

 

Player-of-the-Match: From the moment they went 17-5 up just before the break, this was County’s game. Up front, the whole Stirling pack deserve credit for their efforts with tight-head Rachel Cox and back-row Holland Bogan standing out. Scrum-half Jodie Murdoch and stand-off Ceitidh Ainsworth showed good game management behind the scrum, but the award goes to four-try winger Sky Phimister.

Talking point: Will we see County youngsters like Ceitidh Ainsworth, Holland Bogan and Sky Phimister break through into the full Scotland set up under the still to be announced new national team head coach in 2026? Now that they are players supported by Scottish Rugby, are playing the way they are, and have a Celtic Challenge campaign coming up, surely they have a good shout – and deserve that chance.