0:00:36 > 0:00:39Whilst the Olympic title is being decided in Sochi,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42here in Perth, there's a national prize up for grabs,
0:00:42 > 0:00:44as rinks from all across the country
0:00:44 > 0:00:48try and put themselves in the frame to become Scottish champion.
0:00:48 > 0:00:50The Dewars Centre in Perth played host to
0:00:50 > 0:00:53the National Curling Championships.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56And beyond the title Scottish Champions 2014,
0:00:56 > 0:01:00a chance to represent the country at the World Championships
0:01:00 > 0:01:03in Beijing in March was added incentive for the curlers.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06In the men's competition,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09there were ten teams with multiple Scottish titles between them.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12They played each other once each in a round robin format
0:01:12 > 0:01:14and here is how the tournament progressed.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19Ewan MacDonald first won a world title in 1999.
0:01:19 > 0:01:2215 years later, the 38-year-old was
0:01:22 > 0:01:24still at the top of his game
0:01:24 > 0:01:26and he took a clean sweep
0:01:26 > 0:01:27into the knockout stages.
0:01:29 > 0:01:30Rinks led by David Edwards,
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Logan Gray and John Hamilton
0:01:32 > 0:01:33made up the qualifiers,
0:01:33 > 0:01:35and team form throughout the week
0:01:35 > 0:01:37was reflected in the knockouts.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Team MacDonald proved both confident and competent in their Page 1v2,
0:01:42 > 0:01:45taking the match 8-4
0:01:45 > 0:01:47and advancing straight to the final.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52And the third place qualifiers led by skip Logan Gray earned
0:01:52 > 0:01:55themselves a semi final place against David Edwards,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58with a 7-3 victory over John Hamilton.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02The semi final went to the wire.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06The lead had changed hands three times before the final end,
0:02:06 > 0:02:08where, with Team Edwards a point down,
0:02:08 > 0:02:12and just one stone to throw, disaster struck for Logan Gray.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21After an outrageous turnaround in their semi final,
0:02:21 > 0:02:22Team Edwards booked their place
0:02:22 > 0:02:24alongside Team MacDonald in the final.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Before we get to the final, a quick reminder of the basic rules.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33Teams consist of four players,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37each player delivers two stones per end, and there are ten ends.
0:02:47 > 0:02:51The stones closest to the centre of the house are the vital ones.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57Ewan MacDonald's rink have swept away all before them
0:02:57 > 0:03:00on the way to the final, dominant in the round robin stages.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03But Dave Edwards rink really had that dramatic semi final against
0:03:03 > 0:03:08Logan Gray and maybe they're hitting top form at just the right time.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10This should be an epic encounter.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Ewan, so far, a pretty good week for you.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Yeah, I don't suppose I could've asked for a lot more, really.
0:03:27 > 0:03:28Ten from ten.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31It's been a good week, guys have played great, ice has been great.
0:03:31 > 0:03:32We've got a real good feel for it.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35We came to get to the Scottish Championship Final and win it.
0:03:35 > 0:03:37We want to represent Scotland again, go to Beijing,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39so it would mean a lot to us.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Every Scottish Championship is very important.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43The more you win, the better.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53Dave Edwards is looking to make up for a disappointing end
0:03:53 > 0:03:56to the 2013 Championship.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59We lost out on the last stone in the semi final last year,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02which was Saturday night heartbreak,
0:04:02 > 0:04:04so very disappointing going home last year,
0:04:04 > 0:04:07but to turn that all around in a tight game last night
0:04:07 > 0:04:12and win on a really tight last stone shot, was fantastic.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16We're over the moon last night to get the opportunity to get
0:04:16 > 0:04:19a chance in the final and have a go.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21We've been trying for years to get here.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Team MacDonald took a 2-0 lead at the end of end one.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31After two successive blank ends, Team Edwards drew level in end four.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35We join the action in end five, and Team MacDonald has the hammer,
0:04:35 > 0:04:37or the last stone of the end.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42Describing the action are Robin Copland and Bob Kelly.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Great sweeping. Oh!
0:04:52 > 0:04:53Now, that is a big miss.
0:04:58 > 0:04:59Well, it is.
0:04:59 > 0:05:04Leaves two red stones in the house and MacDonald playing in,
0:05:04 > 0:05:05tried to hold this.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Even their power sweeping
0:05:07 > 0:05:08just the finest of contacts,
0:05:08 > 0:05:10but that's all it takes.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Having just scored 2 in the last end,
0:05:14 > 0:05:16the last thing you want to do is
0:05:16 > 0:05:17give up a 2 or a 3.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Well, a bit of work to be done for Team MacDonald to convert this.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Macdonald's left his two yellow stones out front,
0:05:27 > 0:05:29which are potentially in a good position
0:05:29 > 0:05:31or an end saving position for him.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Won't relish the prospect of throwing a draw around about them
0:05:36 > 0:05:38to get themselves out of trouble, but he may have that.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43This is looking rather nice. Duncan Fernie trying to come up.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Get in behind, and I think he'll be happy with that.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59David might want to bail out here a little bit. I don't know.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03He's got an open hit there on the shot
0:06:03 > 0:06:06that's on the right side of your screen.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08That shot is open.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11It's only just open, isn't it?
0:06:11 > 0:06:16There is a potential runback double in the stone behind Edwards's feet.
0:06:16 > 0:06:18- I agree.- That's an option.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22Not too many other options.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24He could try and come through
0:06:24 > 0:06:27the hole between the two yellows.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29Quiet weight. And potentially get a...
0:06:31 > 0:06:33..double there as well.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36I think it'll need to be a quiet weight
0:06:36 > 0:06:38to get to the nose of the red stone.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47- Do you want to run it? - Just what you think.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49What do you guys like?
0:06:52 > 0:06:56- I think we'll run it to try and get out of 3.- OK.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09OK. Probably heard the discussion there.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12Certainly don't want to lose a 3.
0:07:14 > 0:07:15Resigned that it might be a 2,
0:07:15 > 0:07:18but they're going to try damage limitation here.
0:07:18 > 0:07:22They're going to run that yellow at the bottom of the screen.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26Run that back into the reds. Right on the nose, was the call.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30If he can get it right, he can pick out a couple of these reds.
0:07:32 > 0:07:34This looks easy when you see the hammer there,
0:07:34 > 0:07:36- but this is a difficult shot. - You're right.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39The difference between making this
0:07:39 > 0:07:42and not hitting anything behind is very little.
0:07:43 > 0:07:4520 yards or so.
0:07:47 > 0:07:48And exactly that, in fact.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52That was very close to getting something, but doesn't get anything.
0:07:55 > 0:07:57And the downside, of course, is that that yellow stone there,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59which I felt was probably a little bit
0:07:59 > 0:08:02in David Edwards's favour to keep that one...
0:08:02 > 0:08:04He's now removed it.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08It's going to be interesting to see where Ewan MacDonald
0:08:08 > 0:08:09goes with his next one.
0:08:16 > 0:08:18Looks like a fairly tight guard.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23Going to try and cover these two red stones that are close together,
0:08:23 > 0:08:28try and stop the double, and there's a pretty simple double on them.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30He'll try and get one right in the middle of those.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33Pretty tight to the rings. Do you think that was the call?
0:08:33 > 0:08:36I think that was the call, Bob. A yard short, maybe.
0:08:36 > 0:08:37So, Duncan Fernie.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Great position here for Team MacDonald.
0:08:52 > 0:08:53Let it sit, it needs to stop!
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Not bad.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Over cuddled a little bit on him. He certainly got cover on one red.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08I don't know if the double is still available.
0:09:08 > 0:09:12He really had to hit the left-hand one, as we look at it, first.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16I don't there's a double there, is there, Robin?
0:09:17 > 0:09:19Well, unless...
0:09:19 > 0:09:24He's actually thinking about coming off the stone that John Penny's
0:09:24 > 0:09:26brush is right in front of. Getting the double that way.
0:09:26 > 0:09:30Can he get enough action on that to spring over and get the other one?
0:09:30 > 0:09:32He can get it moving but I don't know if it'll go out.
0:09:34 > 0:09:38Either or! As tight as you like past the guard and you'll get the either.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43If you miss the top red, you'll get the other double!
0:09:45 > 0:09:49He's trying to keep his options open here. You can hear the discussion.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Thinking of the double, from the one he's going to hit to the
0:09:53 > 0:09:56one in the back ring, trying to get rid of two that way.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58So, a few options here.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18I just wondered whether he could get enough action on the second one.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21A really good try, but only managed to get rid of one.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24But he leaves the shooter in there in a good position.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31You could see John was desperately trying to...
0:10:31 > 0:10:33He can't touch it, of course, because it's in front of the T.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36You can only sweep a stone, an opposition stone,
0:10:36 > 0:10:37when it's behind the T line.
0:10:37 > 0:10:39So he was willing it away.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47That was a good shot of what Ewan MacDonald faces.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58Going to play a quiet weight.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00Lovely idea, getting to the inside of that, the right-hand side,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03getting a wee roll in behind the red short stone.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09We saw Euan Byers play this stone earlier on this end.
0:11:09 > 0:11:10The shot is there.
0:11:12 > 0:11:13It's interesting...
0:11:13 > 0:11:16If Ewan MacDonald manages to score a big end this end,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20- it came out of a mistake from Euan Byers initially.- Yeah.
0:11:20 > 0:11:23His first one which ended up on the centre line, short.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I think he threw that a little tight.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Well, that wasn't his best throw. They were on that very quickly.
0:11:52 > 0:11:55I don't think he got out to the brush with that one at all
0:11:55 > 0:11:58and that's a big let off for Team Edwards.
0:11:59 > 0:12:02I think that's a huge let-off for Edwards.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08- It actually sets him up for a steal. - He's got nose hit with this one.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11For two or if he can get the inside roll...
0:12:11 > 0:12:13As you say, he can even set up a steal.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22It just shows you, Ewan was playing the game where
0:12:22 > 0:12:25he didn't want to play it, down the middle, with hammer.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29It would just take one mistake and this is what happens.
0:12:31 > 0:12:32David's got to make this shot.
0:12:39 > 0:12:43Looking definitely for rolls or an inside roll.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Oh, it's a good shot.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Lovely roll from David Edwards.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06This end has turned round in the last couple of shots.
0:13:06 > 0:13:11It was all MacDonald, and now he's got work to do.
0:13:11 > 0:13:13Facing 2.
0:13:13 > 0:13:14A perfect little roll.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18I say perfect, maybe just rolled a little into the gap there, in fact.
0:13:20 > 0:13:22I think that's what Ewan MacDonald is going to go after.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25I think he's going to be coming through that little gap,
0:13:25 > 0:13:27short stones. The red and the yellow.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31That's the gap that David Reid came through,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33if you recall, earlier in this end.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36- I think it's a little smaller now, though.- Is it smaller?
0:13:38 > 0:13:42He's not taking a lot of ice here, so I think he's throwing big weight.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53- This could be a game changer, this stone.- It's a big shot, isn't it?
0:13:53 > 0:13:54Big, big shot.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58If he doesn't get through that hole, I don't there's a plan B here.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00It's going to be a steal of 2 for Edwards.
0:14:01 > 0:14:05Even if it gets through, it might even run and give Edwards 1,
0:14:05 > 0:14:07so a big shot for MacDonald.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Well, his first one was a bit slack,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18but there was nothing wrong with that one at all.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20- Back on from for MacDonald. - A superb shot.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26A score of 1 for MacDonald there.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28So, at the halfway stage, five ends gone,
0:14:28 > 0:14:32Team MacDonald 3-2 Team Edwards.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38With Ewan MacDonald having pulled out one of the shots
0:14:38 > 0:14:43of the day to win end five, he leads by 1 as we join the sixth end.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54Colin Campbell trying to come round again
0:14:54 > 0:14:56and face two stones in the house.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Sweepers working really hard.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01I don't think they're going to get it all the way there, are they?
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Past the guard. You know they are.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07Great sweeping job from the guys again.
0:15:09 > 0:15:10Superb stuff.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15I don't know how they got that stone anywhere near the house.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- I agree.- Astonishing sweeping. - I think this is how.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21That is brilliant.
0:15:26 > 0:15:29I tell you, it's part of the game I think has come on a lot over the
0:15:29 > 0:15:33last few years, I think maybe with the slight professionalism,
0:15:33 > 0:15:35shall we say, of the game.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37The Olympic games stuff coming on
0:15:37 > 0:15:40and the amount of training these guys do...
0:15:40 > 0:15:42at the power of the sweeping.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46I'm sure it's a lot more than we used to have in the old days.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48I think also, though, there's a scientific understanding
0:15:48 > 0:15:51of what sweeping does, which we didn't really have.
0:15:51 > 0:15:52We just thought it worked.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56But these guys actually know what works
0:15:56 > 0:15:58and they know what they have to do.
0:15:59 > 0:16:03It's about pressure, speed of action,
0:16:03 > 0:16:07and you've got to be aerobically fit to do it properly.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Absolutely.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13I remember some time back, probably the Olympic Games in Torino,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17they produced a sweeping ergometer, they called it,
0:16:17 > 0:16:19which measured all sorts of pressures and forces...
0:16:19 > 0:16:22and frequencies of the stroke
0:16:22 > 0:16:26to try and maximise the effect.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29Oh! That shaved the guard.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36Very tight past the guard.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39Another heavy one from The Destroyer.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44Oh! Unlucky to jam red-to-red at that speed.
0:16:48 > 0:16:49Leaves one red in there.
0:16:52 > 0:16:54Dave Reid.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56Son of Ayrshire.
0:16:59 > 0:17:03Yeah, the Ewan MacDonald team are actually from all over, really.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Euan Byers, Lockerbie.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08Ewan MacDonald is Inverness.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14They get together not really all that often to play.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19I was speaking to Tom, their coach, and he tells me that Dave Reid,
0:17:19 > 0:17:20where he lives in Ayrshire,
0:17:20 > 0:17:23he's got seven ice rinks within about half an hour of him, so he can
0:17:23 > 0:17:27get plenty of games, even if it's not with the rest of the guys.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Duncan Fernie, even though he's got an hour
0:17:30 > 0:17:34and ten minute trip up to Inverness, has been going up
0:17:34 > 0:17:37and playing Superleague games with Ewan MacDonald in Inverness.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41That's a bit of dedication, spending almost two and a half hours
0:17:41 > 0:17:42in the car for a game of curling,
0:17:42 > 0:17:45but that's what you have to do to get together
0:17:45 > 0:17:47and get some understanding of each other's play.
0:17:55 > 0:17:56MacLeod.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Well, had the speed that time, but not quite the accuracy.
0:18:04 > 0:18:07But the short one's gone and these are the three stones left in play.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16- A really bad slide. - Sideways!- Really bad.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Well, we've seen some power sweeping on this ice,
0:18:30 > 0:18:34and it's amazing how the ice surface actually stands up to these
0:18:34 > 0:18:37brushes, cos there's a little bit of pebble in the ice.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41It doesn't run on a flat surface, the curling stone.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45A spray is put on, and, depending on how they do that, it depends on the
0:18:45 > 0:18:48amount of curl and the speed, and what we've had here
0:18:48 > 0:18:52throughout these championships has been really fast ice.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56It's actually almost, on some occasions,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58been a little bit too quick.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01It makes the difference between throwing a draw to the T line
0:19:01 > 0:19:03and one, say, at the back line.
0:19:03 > 0:19:06Really quite hard to feel as the players are sliding out,
0:19:06 > 0:19:07but they do get used to it.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12And...they have been having these conditions all week,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15so I think they're pretty much used to this fast stuff.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22The surface was described to me as like an orange peel.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25- In terms of the bumpiness of the surface.- Yep.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27That's the pebble you were talking about.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29So John Penny...
0:19:46 > 0:19:47A good shot.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50Good shot.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59Well, nicely played by Penny.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03I wonder if he's left a little bit of an angle on the two yellows.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05A wee bit unlucky.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Made the shot, made the promotion, but the shooter,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09the one rolling to the right,
0:20:09 > 0:20:13might have ended up just leaving a bit of an angle to the two yellows.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17I hate to say it, Bob, but I think that's what's happened there.
0:20:17 > 0:20:20- They're quite flat...- Duncan Fernie can throw a bit of heat, as well.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23What you need for a shot like this.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26Trying to hit it through quarter stone.
0:20:30 > 0:20:31Oh! What a shot!
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Well, I'll tell you, what precision there was there,
0:20:37 > 0:20:38at that weight as well.
0:20:38 > 0:20:40That was really a great shot.
0:20:53 > 0:20:54Well, wonderful.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03So, three MacDonald stones in play in the house.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04Edwards with the last stone, remember.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06They're pretty much bunched up,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09so John Penny, trying to get rid of a couple of these.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Two in the top of the house, close together.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Even got it onto the third one,
0:21:17 > 0:21:20couldn't get it out the rings, of course, but...
0:21:21 > 0:21:23But it has opened that...
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Has indeed opened things up, which, em...
0:21:25 > 0:21:29I think David needs probably to bail out this end, now.
0:21:46 > 0:21:49COMPETITORS TALK
0:22:02 > 0:22:05It's coming in perfect, you know? It's right on the tee.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15What, a tight guard? If you split the house, you go from one...
0:22:15 > 0:22:16OK.
0:22:19 > 0:22:20So, tight guard is called.
0:22:22 > 0:22:25By that, I mean a guard that is actually possibly biting the house.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29I think he changed his mind there, Robin.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32He was...I think he was originally going to draw the other side,
0:22:32 > 0:22:34draw away from it, but he was in the hack,
0:22:34 > 0:22:36he was talking about playing with the tight guard,
0:22:36 > 0:22:40then I think he decided to go with his original plan and just...
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Which is what he's doing -
0:22:42 > 0:22:43yeah, just separate the two of them,
0:22:43 > 0:22:44get this up to the tee line,
0:22:44 > 0:22:45if he can.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Get it into lie two.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51It's not going to the tee line, this time.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53It is going to get into the rings, I think.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56And that's the key, from his point of view.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58I suspect he's trying to force a 1, here.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01I think the idea would have been, if he'd thrown the tight guard,
0:23:01 > 0:23:02he was maybe looking to steal,
0:23:02 > 0:23:05cos the stone he has got in the rings is, well...
0:23:05 > 0:23:07We can see it there - it's actually biting the 1-foot,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10so a guard on that could possibly have set up a steal.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Worried, of course, if he throws the guard
0:23:13 > 0:23:16a little bit short of what he means to do,
0:23:16 > 0:23:18that David Edwards could come round and freeze on that one
0:23:18 > 0:23:20and maybe set up to make a 2.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23So just erred on the cautious side, there,
0:23:23 > 0:23:24went to throw a second shot into the house
0:23:24 > 0:23:27and is really trying to force David Edwards
0:23:27 > 0:23:29to take a 1 in this end
0:23:29 > 0:23:31by making him face 2 when he comes to play his last.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33This is Edwards' first.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36So an out-turn takeout.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40Controlled weight, I would think.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57They've got to get a roll off this...
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Oh, and out of the rings. He wanted to hold that one.
0:24:00 > 0:24:01Would have liked to roll in behind the red,
0:24:01 > 0:24:06top of the picture, but...maybe went for that a little bit too much.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11Yeah, that curled, I think, a little bit more than David expected.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Maybe he turned it in slightly,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16played it slightly tight off the brush.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17It seemed to curl quite...
0:24:17 > 0:24:19They didn't jump on it right at the start,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22but...it curled more than he thought it was going to.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27So Ewan is now going to try and use this red stone -
0:24:27 > 0:24:30you see it top right-hand side of your picture,
0:24:30 > 0:24:31and going to try and come in and...
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Kind of round behind that, use that almost as a guard.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41And again, try and force David to the 1,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44one suspects that David will probably draw the 4-foot at that point.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47Unless he feels comfortable about a double.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Well, actually, again, Robin, that was an option they discussed,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53but I think he's decided to go round to the other side.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00Yeah, that's the call.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11They'd put a power of sweeping in the first one,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13just to get it to the rings.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15He's obviously thrown a bit more on this one.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Has he over-compensated?
0:25:18 > 0:25:19Just has to hang...
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Well, a bit lucky, there.
0:25:22 > 0:25:23It does the job, though.
0:25:23 > 0:25:28Just had to get two counters to force Edwards to take 1.
0:25:28 > 0:25:29There's no double, of course,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32but another couple of inches running,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34and they wouldn't have had the 2.
0:25:36 > 0:25:40So, looking for nose hit here, I think...
0:25:42 > 0:25:44..from Edwards, should be good enough.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56Purpose here to score a 1 -
0:25:56 > 0:25:59are you surprised he's not going for the draw here, Bob?
0:25:59 > 0:26:03Yeah? He's got a lot of room to draw, too, hasn't he?
0:26:03 > 0:26:05He's got the whole eight-foot and half the 12-foot.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07You would think this'd be a riskier shot, wouldn't you?
0:26:07 > 0:26:11If he hits and runs off this one, he would give up a steal a 1.
0:26:13 > 0:26:15A lot of room to roll on the inside of the left, as we look at it.
0:26:20 > 0:26:21Ah, nicely played.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24I think you go with what you're comfortable with.
0:26:24 > 0:26:28I think that's right - clearly, that's the shot he wanted to play.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31So that'll be a score of 1 for Edwards.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33Ties the game up after six ends.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35It's three apiece.
0:26:40 > 0:26:43The surface here at The Dewar Centre is regarded by many
0:26:43 > 0:26:46as some of the best ice in Scotland.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50But what constitutes good ice and just how vital is it?
0:26:51 > 0:26:53# Ice, ice, baby... #
0:26:55 > 0:26:58The ice here is absolutely perfect.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01I've played in just about every ice rink there is in Scotland.
0:27:01 > 0:27:06I've played in ice rinks in Canada, Switzerland, Norway.
0:27:06 > 0:27:08Perth is probably one of the best ice rinks I've played on.
0:27:09 > 0:27:13The ice surface has got a big bearing on the result of the stone -
0:27:13 > 0:27:16it can be different speed, a different amount of curl.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18The ice is prepared, they cut as flat as possible,
0:27:18 > 0:27:20and then put a small pebble on.
0:27:20 > 0:27:25Little droplets of water are thrown up into the air
0:27:25 > 0:27:29and they drop down on top of the ice and freeze instantly
0:27:29 > 0:27:32so the stone runs on a very small, thin running band
0:27:32 > 0:27:35across the top of these droplets of water.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39Different ice conditions can suit different teams massively.
0:27:39 > 0:27:41Certainly, curling, if we've got curling ice,
0:27:41 > 0:27:42it certainly suits us a lot,
0:27:42 > 0:27:44cos we like to be aggressive.
0:27:47 > 0:27:53We're throwing what we call a split time of 3.2 seconds to the tee line
0:27:53 > 0:27:55and it's a draw of between five to six feet,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58which is perfect for championship curling.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01The ice here, it's been curling really, really nice
0:28:01 > 0:28:03and it enables you to play all the shots and as a curler,
0:28:03 > 0:28:06and at the level we're at, then all that's you can ask
0:28:06 > 0:28:08and if you've got that then we're happy.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16End 7 saw a cluster of stones in play
0:28:16 > 0:28:19and came to an exciting conclusion
0:28:19 > 0:28:20with MacDonald trying to edge
0:28:20 > 0:28:24out an Edwards stone with his last shot to take two.
0:28:26 > 0:28:30The stone jammed and it went down to a measure for the two
0:28:30 > 0:28:33but, by a fraction of an inch, it was just a single
0:28:33 > 0:28:36and the scoreline went 4-3 to Team MacDonald.
0:28:36 > 0:28:37- OK?- Yep.
0:28:40 > 0:28:42End 8, and with a couple of guards in place,
0:28:42 > 0:28:46Euan Byers is looking to put the pressure on with his second stone.
0:28:54 > 0:28:58- Needs to curl, needs to curl.- Just wait a bit, boys, I think. Yep, go.
0:28:58 > 0:29:00Go now, guys.
0:29:03 > 0:29:04Really hard, come on, guys.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Come on, hard, hard, hard.
0:29:07 > 0:29:11Working hard on this one. Nice shot by Byers.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13APPLAUSE
0:29:23 > 0:29:26With these guys pounding the ice the way they do, it does take
0:29:26 > 0:29:28a huge amount of punishment...
0:29:29 > 0:29:33..and in these later ends, sometimes that can have an effect on the ice.
0:29:35 > 0:29:39Especially in a warm...
0:29:39 > 0:29:41ice rink that we have here.
0:29:41 > 0:29:43- Go!- You, you.
0:29:53 > 0:29:54- OK.- OK.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Well, a couple of slight errors there from Colin Campbell
0:30:00 > 0:30:03and now we've got four stones in play.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Those three in a line, though, not great for David Edwards.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09They're near that centre line and he's got last stone.
0:30:09 > 0:30:13Opportunity for Ewan MacDonald to ask for a second player,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15David Reid, to come right round about them,
0:30:15 > 0:30:19get one on top of the button, on top of the 4-foot.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22- Line's good. - He'll have plenty of protection.
0:30:23 > 0:30:27- Hard! Really hard, come on, guys!- Harder.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32- Hard! Still there.- Hard!
0:30:33 > 0:30:35They're working this one really hard to try
0:30:35 > 0:30:39- and get it round without touching that red stone.- Come on, go, go, go!
0:30:39 > 0:30:42They don't want to bounce off it, I think they've got it though.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45Well, just a little bit, just slightly short-weight there.
0:30:45 > 0:30:47Yeah, that's all it was.
0:30:57 > 0:30:59Well, I wonder if David Edwards thinks
0:30:59 > 0:31:02he can get rid of both of these.
0:31:02 > 0:31:06- He's got the power of Scott MacLeod of course.- Hard!
0:31:06 > 0:31:09Plays the hard one, the high, hard one.
0:31:12 > 0:31:17Well, moved it out of that line which is good.
0:31:17 > 0:31:20Nose in the rings but keeps his shooter.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23Yeah, the key there is that it's out in the open now where before it
0:31:23 > 0:31:25was covered by two guards.
0:31:36 > 0:31:40Just a controlled takeout here from David Reid.
0:31:40 > 0:31:41Hack.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46It's coming this way.
0:31:48 > 0:31:52They're trying to get the yellow and lie two reds.
0:31:55 > 0:31:58- Nice shot from Reid.- Well played.
0:31:58 > 0:32:01It's going to be interesting to see how hard David Edwards goes
0:32:01 > 0:32:02to try and get a 2 in this end,
0:32:02 > 0:32:04there's a lot of stones in play at the moment
0:32:04 > 0:32:08so it's looking a little less likely that you'd get away with
0:32:08 > 0:32:11a blank here so he really wouldn't want to be forced to take 1.
0:32:13 > 0:32:16So, it'll be interesting to see how hard he goes to try
0:32:16 > 0:32:19and get a 2, whether he's prepared to gamble.
0:32:19 > 0:32:23Not that much at the moment anyway, cos this is a takeout.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35Good shot.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38Moved behind that cover there but it's actually done quite well,
0:32:38 > 0:32:39where it's gone.
0:32:46 > 0:32:50- So, precision shot been called for here.- Yeah, probably have to.
0:32:50 > 0:32:52- Go this way.- OK.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03Yep, going to try and make the takeout on yellow.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Obviously, they have to be careful that it doesn't overcurl
0:33:05 > 0:33:08when you pick your own red going out and leave the yellow in there.
0:33:08 > 0:33:09The barrier awaits.
0:33:09 > 0:33:12A little bit of a down-weight, controlled-weight shot.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26Good shot from Duncan Fernie.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Don't know if there even was an option, really, to roll that one in
0:33:29 > 0:33:32behind the two short ones, I think it would have set up a double anyway
0:33:32 > 0:33:36so happy to roll away, get a bit of separation between the two reds.
0:33:38 > 0:33:39Duncan's played well today.
0:33:39 > 0:33:40He's come to the party,
0:33:40 > 0:33:45he's shooting 89% so far which is good by anybody's standards.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55Now, John Penny chasing a double.
0:33:58 > 0:34:00Looking for half-stone, this one.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03Hard! Hard!
0:34:03 > 0:34:05Hard!
0:34:07 > 0:34:10Over-curled onto the nose.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12But sits in the house means
0:34:12 > 0:34:15MacDonald will certainly have to play the takeout.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Doesn't want to leave any yellow stones in the house.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20Doesn't want to give a chance of a two.
0:34:20 > 0:34:22Would love a chance to draw round
0:34:22 > 0:34:25the stone at the top of your picture, the red, and the yellow,
0:34:25 > 0:34:28but can't afford to do that at the moment.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Doesn't want to leave a chance of a score of two or more
0:34:31 > 0:34:34for his opposition, so playing it cagey, biding his time.
0:34:34 > 0:34:36Keep it firm.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38Duncan Fernie with the takeout.
0:34:41 > 0:34:42Yes!
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50Good shot again.
0:34:50 > 0:34:51Well done.
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Just slightly over-swept it.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57Think he was looking for a bit more roll to get in behind those stones.
0:34:57 > 0:35:00Certainly no double on the reds
0:35:00 > 0:35:03but there is a hit and roll off the right-hand one there.
0:35:03 > 0:35:04For David Edwards, in fact.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08Got in behind this line up on the centre line first.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10John Penny going to have a go at it.
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Hard. Hard!
0:35:39 > 0:35:43Well, it's going to hold the rings now.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46This is going to be the decision for MacDonald.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Is he going to have a go with the draw?
0:35:49 > 0:35:52He lies one. Or does he lie one? He's just checking.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59It is red, aye.
0:35:59 > 0:36:00It's red.
0:36:02 > 0:36:03Come here.
0:36:05 > 0:36:08MacDonald would have loved that yellow stone
0:36:08 > 0:36:10to have just rolled out the rings,
0:36:10 > 0:36:14then he could have a free draw round these short stones.
0:36:14 > 0:36:18He's taking a little bit of chance if he goes to the draw now
0:36:18 > 0:36:20if he leaves a double.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23That yellow stone at the back could come into scoring position.
0:36:23 > 0:36:25Doesn't want to give up two,
0:36:25 > 0:36:29but he sees a chance to apply a bit of pressure here.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32It's probably the right call.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Got to take it on, haven't you?
0:36:35 > 0:36:36You think, Robin?
0:36:36 > 0:36:39Yeah. No, I think the draw round here is a good call
0:36:39 > 0:36:43especially as I think... If... It depends.
0:36:43 > 0:36:46The stone at the front of the house,
0:36:46 > 0:36:49if they nose that, they're not lying.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52So even if he gets the double,
0:36:52 > 0:36:54David Edwards isn't lying,
0:36:54 > 0:36:56so this is a good call from Ewan MacDonald,
0:36:56 > 0:37:00in-turn draw round behind the cover.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20Hard. Hard!
0:37:24 > 0:37:27Hard! Hard!
0:37:30 > 0:37:34Just touched that yellow stone, as you saw,
0:37:34 > 0:37:37and that's pushed it out into the open.
0:37:37 > 0:37:40That's just about back where it was before, wasn't it?
0:37:40 > 0:37:42The one that John Penny hit,
0:37:42 > 0:37:45so the same shot, I would think, for David Edwards.
0:37:45 > 0:37:48He'll have a pretty good idea how the ice is running down here,
0:37:48 > 0:37:52looking for the roll-in behind the centre line of stones again.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02Stick the roll, guys.
0:38:04 > 0:38:08John's moved a heck of a lot at the end, guys.
0:38:25 > 0:38:28Looking for the roll.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33Hard!
0:38:33 > 0:38:34Whoa, whoa.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41Well, I don't know what happened.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44Was it a pick or did he just throw it really poorly?
0:38:44 > 0:38:47- I'm not sure what happened.- Yeah.
0:38:47 > 0:38:49They didn't come onto it early on
0:38:49 > 0:38:52which suggests to me that maybe it jumped.
0:38:52 > 0:38:54It jumped across, perhaps.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57A slightly puzzled look on Dave's face,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00but it was certainly miles away from what he was looking for.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03Nowhere near getting the roll. I can see all the stone
0:39:03 > 0:39:05and a bit.
0:39:12 > 0:39:15He might just put it down to a bad throw.
0:39:15 > 0:39:19Not a good time to do it, if that's what it was, but...
0:39:19 > 0:39:22Well, he's going to be facing at least two reds now,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25and Ewan MacDonald is going to try and put another one in there,
0:39:25 > 0:39:28I would think, trying to get right into the top of the 4-foot.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32In behind that yellow stone, using the yellow stone as a guard.
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Now a chance to apply pressure.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45MacDonald.
0:39:45 > 0:39:47This line!
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Line's good.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53- Six!- Whoa!
0:39:55 > 0:39:57This is looking wide, though.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00A high line. Needs to curl a long way.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Curl!
0:40:09 > 0:40:12Well, that wasn't what he was looking for.
0:40:12 > 0:40:15The weight wasn't bad but the line was way off again.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18I say again - similarly to David Edwards.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21And he just bunched the two reds,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24so disappointment on the face of MacDonald.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26It was a great chance.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30Basically, the shot here for David is just to nose that red
0:40:30 > 0:40:34that's beside the brush head that you can see in the picture
0:40:34 > 0:40:38and the two reds go but he lies short.
0:40:38 > 0:40:40But, on the other hand,
0:40:40 > 0:40:43- the one has been forced. - Yeah. Yeah, you're right, Robin.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46I think Ewan would have wanted to steal here.
0:40:46 > 0:40:48I think it was a stealing opportunity
0:40:48 > 0:40:52but he won't be too disappointed. The force is a good result for him.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57Got to get the nose.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03And he does!
0:41:03 > 0:41:05Didn't get it out the house
0:41:05 > 0:41:08but that's not important. Shooter stays, moves it far enough.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11Good shot from Edwards. Scores that single point.
0:41:11 > 0:41:14And we've got a tied game once more.
0:41:14 > 0:41:19After eight ends, it's MacDonald 4, Edwards 4.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24End nine ended with disappointment for both teams.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28MacDonald's first stone gave Edwards a chance to tap back.
0:41:30 > 0:41:34But Edwards' stone was swept all the way
0:41:34 > 0:41:37and, agonisingly, clipped a guard.
0:41:40 > 0:41:43With the chance to score three and put daylight between the teams,
0:41:43 > 0:41:47MacDonald was slightly heavy with his last stone...
0:41:50 > 0:41:55..scoring just two and leaving the door open for Team Edwards.
0:41:55 > 0:41:59Would MacDonald rue that missed opportunity?
0:41:59 > 0:42:02We rejoin the action at the beginning of end ten,
0:42:02 > 0:42:04MacDonald leads 6-4.
0:42:04 > 0:42:07On its own.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10Well, tenth end underway.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14Euan Byres, Team MacDonald.
0:42:16 > 0:42:18They have a two-shot lead.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21So the call here is Top 4.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23No.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26Just over-curling a little bit.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29APPLAUSE
0:42:29 > 0:42:32The weight was perfect. He'd have liked it on the centre line
0:42:32 > 0:42:34but that's pretty good.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39Well, that was a big let-off for David Edwards.
0:42:39 > 0:42:42He made a mistake with his last stone in end nine,
0:42:42 > 0:42:44gave MacDonald a chance for three.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47MacDonald heavy so just the two.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49A three would have been a really tough call.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51Still not going to be easy for Edwards, two down.
0:42:51 > 0:42:53Come on.
0:42:53 > 0:42:55Needs to score. He must score a two here,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58even to take the game to an extra end.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01And the corner guard from Colin Campbell.
0:43:01 > 0:43:05In play but really wanted that a bit closer to the rings.
0:43:05 > 0:43:10A draw round behind that could still be removed by MacDonald team
0:43:10 > 0:43:13at a quiet takeout weight.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17So Byres with his second.
0:43:21 > 0:43:23Just here? Yep, yep, yep.
0:43:24 > 0:43:29- Two most difficult words in curling, Bob - same again.- Absolutely.
0:43:35 > 0:43:37Whoa, whoa, whoa.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43Yeah, two nice stones there from Euan Byres.
0:43:48 > 0:43:53- Yeah.- David just looking for a slightly better corner shot
0:43:53 > 0:43:56so he wants one closer to the rings.
0:43:56 > 0:43:58The normal play would be to throw another
0:43:58 > 0:44:00corner guard on the other side,
0:44:00 > 0:44:04but he knows the one played by Colin first was rather too long,
0:44:04 > 0:44:06so he'll actually draw round behind it
0:44:06 > 0:44:08and use Colin's first stone as a guard for the guard,
0:44:08 > 0:44:11if you're with me. That's the call.
0:44:11 > 0:44:14It'll mean if he can keep this one in play...
0:44:14 > 0:44:19Mind you, he's supposed to be a bit deeper and past that yellow.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21It's not going very far past.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23A little bit.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27Yeah, they wanted that another yard closer,
0:44:27 > 0:44:30because that'll be a runback territory for somebody later on.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33Yep. In fact, Ewan knows exactly that the top yellow stone there
0:44:33 > 0:44:36is really too far from the house to be much use,
0:44:36 > 0:44:40so he's ignoring that one and just trying picking out
0:44:40 > 0:44:43the one just played. He could go for the double kill here
0:44:43 > 0:44:47but happy just to take the one that could cause him most problem.
0:44:48 > 0:44:53- Oh, well.- Colin's first guard has done its purpose.- It did work.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55- That's a slack one from David Reid. - It was.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59He won't be happy with that.
0:44:59 > 0:45:03That does leave the corner. That's in a much more usable position.
0:45:05 > 0:45:08Now, what does he do now? Does he go round the corner guard
0:45:08 > 0:45:11or does he kind of try and play around?
0:45:11 > 0:45:15Yep, it looks as if he's calling to go round that corner guard,
0:45:15 > 0:45:17ignoring these two stones.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19The higher the better, guys.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22The other option, if he doesn't want to do this,
0:45:22 > 0:45:24is to throw another corner on the other side.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39OK. Trying to use the corner.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41Scott Macleod with a draw.
0:45:41 > 0:45:43Of course, David Edwards always has to be aware that
0:45:43 > 0:45:46those two lead stones of Euan Byers are still in the house.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49He has to deal with them at some point.
0:45:49 > 0:45:50Happy to leave them at the moment,
0:45:50 > 0:45:54trying to use the corner he has, get this round behind,
0:45:54 > 0:45:55get it hidden.
0:45:57 > 0:45:59Looks like a pretty good effort from Scott Macleod.
0:46:01 > 0:46:02Nicely played.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16So, Euan electing to take that corner guard off now
0:46:16 > 0:46:17with this stone.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32That's a better one from David Reid.
0:46:37 > 0:46:41So, the Edwards stone now exposed.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44David can either throw a guard on it or can try and make
0:46:44 > 0:46:45a little play on the red stones.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48Just going to throw a guard this time.
0:46:48 > 0:46:52He knows that it'll just be peeled by MacDonald.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00It needs to swing, guys.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08Line's good. Line's nice. Go a bit at the end.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12Hard. Hard!
0:47:12 > 0:47:13Whoa.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19Good throw there from Scott Macleod.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24Euan marches purposefully up, gives the ice.
0:47:43 > 0:47:48That's the peel. Now, John Penny's first stone.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51So, that's the third, so there's four stones to go.
0:47:51 > 0:47:53He's trying to score a two here.
0:47:53 > 0:47:56At some point, he probably needs to do some work on those two reds
0:47:56 > 0:47:58you see in the picture there.
0:48:18 > 0:48:22Did you see the call, Robin? Is he asking for the draw?
0:48:22 > 0:48:25- Is he coming round the red?- I think he's possibly coming round the red.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28- It looks by the ice he's giving, it looks like a draw shot.- Yep.
0:48:28 > 0:48:30Trying to come down the two reds.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35If he can get it to the back of the 4ft,
0:48:35 > 0:48:38behind those two reds cos they're at an angle...
0:48:38 > 0:48:40He's good. He's good.
0:48:40 > 0:48:42Come on. Hard, guys.
0:48:42 > 0:48:45Hard! Hard! Whoa. Whoa.
0:48:45 > 0:48:48- Just overcurled.- It did. - The weight wasn't bad.
0:48:48 > 0:48:53Maybe a little down weight. Needed another yard, 4ft, perhaps.
0:48:53 > 0:48:55What do you fancy?
0:48:55 > 0:48:58- That one?- Yeah.- What, just peel it?
0:48:58 > 0:49:01- I think so.- Yeah.
0:49:04 > 0:49:10- What's he did do?- Going here, aren't I?- Straight back then.
0:49:12 > 0:49:16If he goes here and you try and go for the face, it'll lock in...
0:49:16 > 0:49:19- You're probably better peeling it, I would have thought.- OK.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30Yeah, Ewan MacDonald thinking a few shots ahead there
0:49:30 > 0:49:34to decide whether they want to hit this on the nose or not.
0:49:34 > 0:49:37Hit it on the nose and then come round the short yellow one
0:49:37 > 0:49:39they played, they're going to drive it back.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41This one might get in the way.
0:49:41 > 0:49:45He just wants to hit and run. That was what they were looking for.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48- Keeping it simple.- Yeah, put it so you're two up.- Exactly.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51If he loses a two here, MacDonald, it's not a disaster.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54He would go into an extra end. But with the hammer,
0:49:54 > 0:49:58I would fancy his chances from winning that position.
0:49:58 > 0:50:00Not guaranteed, of course. Would love to finish it here
0:50:00 > 0:50:03by limiting Edwards to a single point.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23John Penny with his second.
0:50:23 > 0:50:25It's all right. Looks good.
0:50:32 > 0:50:33Hard.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37Come on. Hard.
0:50:37 > 0:50:39Hard. Line's good. Come on.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42- Hard.- Back up.
0:50:42 > 0:50:44Yep, yep, yep.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49Well, a great effort.
0:50:49 > 0:50:50Just about got it there.
0:50:53 > 0:50:57- The thing he's doing here is, he's asking questions.- He certainly is.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59It's not a bad place for him, actually.
0:50:59 > 0:51:02That's going to be difficult.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11Would be nice if you can make that. I think you can peel that.
0:51:36 > 0:51:40It was interesting, Euan Byers coming in and contributing there.
0:51:40 > 0:51:42He's always been, even with the Olympic teams they had,
0:51:42 > 0:51:45although he was lead position, always had a lot of input
0:51:45 > 0:51:47into the tactics. Calls the game extremely well
0:51:47 > 0:51:51and Euan will always listen to him and he really talks a lot of sense.
0:51:51 > 0:51:55They're just going to peel this top yellow stone.
0:51:55 > 0:51:58All the quiet talking is from the Greg Henderson Spy School.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00Yes, exactly!
0:52:00 > 0:52:03Difficult to see. I'm not sure exactly what he said,
0:52:03 > 0:52:07but Euan certainly took it on board. So, this is the peel.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09If he gets it thin,
0:52:09 > 0:52:11might just catch the red...
0:52:13 > 0:52:15to the right-hand side, as we saw there.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19Not that he really wants that.
0:52:22 > 0:52:24- Just picked it clean.- Good shot.
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Working on the assumption that David Edwards makes a play
0:52:26 > 0:52:31on the yellow on the right there to try and get the red
0:52:31 > 0:52:34in the 4ft out of play, both the yellows are going to be moving
0:52:34 > 0:52:37to the right-hand side, probably out of shot position
0:52:37 > 0:52:41and close together and I think David Edwards realised that as well
0:52:41 > 0:52:43so they're not even going to make that play. He's coming round
0:52:43 > 0:52:46the other side, then I think he's actually going to have to try
0:52:46 > 0:52:50and draw this one almost behind the red stone in the 4ft,
0:52:50 > 0:52:51half around that.
0:52:57 > 0:52:58First of his two stones.
0:53:03 > 0:53:05OK, guys. Line's good.
0:53:11 > 0:53:13Hard!
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Line's good, guys. Hard!
0:53:17 > 0:53:19Come on. Hard! Come on!
0:53:25 > 0:53:29Right behind the red. Super line. Really good weight.
0:53:29 > 0:53:31A great shot from Edwards.
0:53:31 > 0:53:35Really couldn't have done much more than that.
0:53:37 > 0:53:42That was an absolutely cracking shot there from David Edwards.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44Two sweepers worked really hard.
0:53:47 > 0:53:49Real team effort.
0:53:51 > 0:53:56That sweeping can take the stone, they reckon, 7, 8, 9ft further on.
0:54:01 > 0:54:04The shot he's going for, he's going to try and come down here,
0:54:04 > 0:54:06he's going to try and catch this.
0:54:06 > 0:54:11He thinks the red will come across, get this other yellow.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15He's trying to get both these yellows out of there and effectively
0:54:15 > 0:54:18only leave one stone for Dave Edwards to play
0:54:18 > 0:54:20and win this championship.
0:54:20 > 0:54:22So this is a big shot.
0:54:24 > 0:54:27I think the angles work. We'll soon find out. McDonald.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38He's got it.
0:54:38 > 0:54:39He worked it out correctly.
0:54:39 > 0:54:40The two yellows go.
0:54:40 > 0:54:46Ewan McDonald, Duncan Fernie, Dave Reid, Euan Byers -
0:54:46 > 0:54:48Scottish Champions 2014.
0:54:48 > 0:54:52- What a fabulous shot that was from Ewan.- What a great way to finish.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56MacDonald absolutely dominant throughout the whole week
0:54:56 > 0:54:59and the weekend. Undefeated, 11 straight games.
0:54:59 > 0:55:05David Edwards pushed him hard in a great final but just came second.
0:55:05 > 0:55:08Look at that. Got the angles absolutely right.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11The yellows disappear, leave the reds there.
0:55:11 > 0:55:12One stone left for David Edwards.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14Not enough. He needed two.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17Superb stuff.
0:55:21 > 0:55:23Ladies and gentlemen please give it up for
0:55:23 > 0:55:26Euan Byers, Dave Reid, Duncan Fernie and Ewan MacDonald -
0:55:26 > 0:55:30Co-operative Funeralcare Scottish Champions 2014.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
0:55:39 > 0:55:43So very happy faces there, but the boys are here with their gold medals on.
0:55:43 > 0:55:46Scottish Champion once again. You must be very happy.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49Thank you very much. That sounds good.
0:55:49 > 0:55:52It's been a few years so it's nice to get back on that winning podium.
0:55:52 > 0:55:53Absolutely delighted, thanks.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55And also skipping again.
0:55:55 > 0:55:58It's been a while since you've been skipping to the Scottish Championship,
0:55:58 > 0:55:59but that is a nice thing as well.
0:55:59 > 0:56:03Yes, absolutely. Ten years in fact. It's been a wee while since I've skipped at the Worlds,
0:56:03 > 0:56:04but looking forward to it.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07Got a great team. The three guys in front of me are playing superb,
0:56:07 > 0:56:09so just keep doing what they are doing
0:56:09 > 0:56:12and make my job easy as they've been doing all week. Happy days.
0:56:12 > 0:56:15Dave, going into the final, you had obviously won all your matches.
0:56:15 > 0:56:17Does that put a wee bit more pressure on you,
0:56:17 > 0:56:20given the fact you think, "We might slip up at some point?"
0:56:20 > 0:56:22No, I don't think so. The way the guys seen it was more of a positive.
0:56:22 > 0:56:26We had pre-game chats and we talked about what to do
0:56:26 > 0:56:28and it was just more of the same really, so I think
0:56:28 > 0:56:31we just carried on every game and kept the momentum going.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34Duncan, I've got to speak to you as well because you played absolutely
0:56:34 > 0:56:37fantastically there and just keeping that momentum going and
0:56:37 > 0:56:41playing part of a team is absolutely key in this game isn't it?
0:56:41 > 0:56:43Totally, yes. We had a really good week.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45It was good to keep the momentum going.
0:56:45 > 0:56:49The last two round-robin games I think we were first place
0:56:49 > 0:56:51anyway, so it was really important to keep it going.
0:56:51 > 0:56:53And in the 1-2 yesterday
0:56:53 > 0:56:55and the final again today we played a lot of good shots.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57Euan, of course, playing lead
0:56:57 > 0:57:00and it's such an important thing to get you off to a good
0:57:00 > 0:57:01start and put pressure on your opponents
0:57:01 > 0:57:04because Dave's rink did put pressure on you at times.
0:57:04 > 0:57:05Absolutely, yes.
0:57:05 > 0:57:07My job is quite simple.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11It is to try and get stones in the right place and get the end building up for the guys
0:57:11 > 0:57:14and put some pressure on the opposition, rather than them doing it to us.
0:57:14 > 0:57:18We're going to look at a couple of shots. Talk through the first one. This is the fifth end.
0:57:18 > 0:57:19We reckon this was an important one.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21It was 2-2 at this point.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24You were lying potentially 4-2 down and you've basically got to
0:57:24 > 0:57:26thread the eye of a needle here.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28Mm hm. Yes, I missed my first one at this end, which set us
0:57:28 > 0:57:30up pretty good, but
0:57:30 > 0:57:34managed to throw a good one there and thread it through the port there.
0:57:34 > 0:57:36That was the important one.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39Giving up two in the fifth end wouldn't have been good so that was a good one to make for sure.
0:57:39 > 0:57:42And this was the last shot. Duncan, talk us through this one
0:57:42 > 0:57:43because there's nothing you can do here.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45There's not much sweeping to be done.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48You know he's going to throw the weight and this is for the Championship.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50Totally. I was just hoping it wasn't going to be tight
0:57:50 > 0:57:53and hoping he wasn't going to be wide. He nailed it perfectly.
0:57:53 > 0:57:57Right down the stick and just a steady sweep on it all the way down and it was perfect.
0:57:57 > 0:57:58It certainly was perfect.
0:57:58 > 0:58:01Another World Championship you're going to next month.
0:58:01 > 0:58:02That's a good thing.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05You're three-time World Champion heading off there
0:58:05 > 0:58:07and skipping again at a World Championship for Scotland.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10Absolutely, yes. Just can't wait.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12Really looking forward to getting out to Beijing.
0:58:12 > 0:58:16For all of us we all want to represent our country.
0:58:16 > 0:58:19We all want to wear Scotland on our backs. It doesn't matter how many
0:58:19 > 0:58:21times you do it, it's a great thrill.
0:58:21 > 0:58:23It will be a really proud moment for all of us.
0:58:23 > 0:58:26We will go out there and do our absolute best and try
0:58:26 > 0:58:29'and represent our country as best we can.'
0:58:29 > 0:58:33I'm sure you will. We've had a great week and Team MacDonald have reigned supreme.
0:58:33 > 0:58:35Thanks so much for your company. Bye for now.
0:58:38 > 0:58:42MUSIC: "Stop The Rock" by Apollo 440