Playing at Murrayfield will mean the world to Moray Rugby Club hero Rory Millar after his decisive penalty against Linlithgow secured a place in the National Shield final
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Rory Millar couldn’t hide his joy after kicking the penalty that sent Moray to Murrayfield.
More on Moray’s victory:
Moray 39 Linlithgow 37 - pictures and report
Watch the six Moray tries and thrilling finale
Watch interview with Moray player coach Cameron Hughes.
His 35-metre effort completed a thrilling comeback from 24 points behind to secure a thrilling 39-37 victory over Linlithgow in the semi-finals of the National Shield.
Saturday’s Morriston miracle earned the Elgin club a date at the home of Scottish rugby, as they will play Cumnock at The Hive Stadium within Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium complex.
“That means the world to me to be honest,” said Millar, who also kicked the winning conversion in the 22-20 victory over Ardrossan in the quarter-finals.
He admitted it had been difficult to shut out the opportunity to play in a Murrayfield final and concentrate on the semi-final clash that could get Moray there.
“It was just the thought of it before the game, trying to dial in to this game and not think too far ahead.
“Knowing that we are going there now, it is a weird feeling. “I have been at Murrayfield for internationals but this means everything to me to being going there for a final with Moray.
“I just hope that we can go there and get another win. What a season it could be, if we get that double it would be just brilliant.
“It feels like it has been our best season ever.”
Moray have now defeated Aberdeenshire, Grangemouth, Ardrossan and Linlithgow to reach the final on April 27, and hope to bring a big support with them.
Moray exiles in the central belt are sure to head for the Edinburgh rugby stadium to cheer them on, while a supporters bus is being organised to take fans down for the 1.45pm kick-off.
The Morriston outfit have already topped the North Conference table and won their first two play-off matches in their bid to achieve promotion to National Division 4 next season.
A league success as well as a National Shield glory would certainly make it the best-ever season for the club, which celebrated its centenary last year.
Millar scored his 13th try of the campaign in the semi-final and his kicking exploits have accumulated 292 points for his team in the season.
Murrayfield seemed a long way away when the home side trailed 29-5 after less than half an hour of Saturday’s match, and Millar admitted he began to fear the worst.
“You do start to wonder and I think at half time we were down and they had that momentum,” he added.
“We just said if we score first and try to keep it going, we could see where it took us.
“We got one try then we got another and kept it going. Then they got that try in the corner, so we just bounced back and got another one.”
Millar missed an early penalty, then was presented with a seemingly comfortable conversion in front of the posts for Connor McWilliam’s opening try - only to hook it wide in windy conditions.
“The heat of the moment got to me,” he recalled. “The wind bobbled the ball and I missed.
“But I got the ones that counted in the end.”
Millar couldn’t convert a difficult conversion at 37-36 down just moments from the end, but was given one last chance with a more central penalty kick, albeit quite a distance from the posts.
Just as he did with his nerve-shredding conversion to win the quarter-final, the full back shut out the big Morriston crowd and tried to imagine he was kicking a routine training attempt.
“This one was probably further out and harder (than against Ardrossan), with more pressure. I just had to hold my nerve.
“The final was on the line but I had to tell myself it was just another kick. I kept my head, I took another ten seconds just to compose myself and that was me.
“I fired it in and we got the win that we needed, and I couldn’t be happier.”
