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“We had to
win the game twice. From 15-3 up we let them back into it,
but we came good in the end to get the bonus point.” That
was the frank assessment of Boroughmuir coach Eamon John at
full time of his side’s win over local rivals Watsonians. In
winning the McNish trophy, ’Muir claimed the four-try bonus
point and kept themselves strongly at the top of the
Scottish Hydro Electric Premiership, but they certainly made
it hard for themselves.
Boroughmuir
made a bright start with ball in hand, taking the early game
to Watsonians, but they were unable to garner any points
from their pressure, and soon enough visiting fly-half,
Andrew Skeen, was able to clear their lines with his big
boot. It was Skeen as well who got the first points on the
board, with twelve minutes gone, flanker Olly Brown was
penalised for breaking his binding at the scrum and Skeen
drilled the effort between the uprights.
Watsons
were beginning to play a very efficient territorial game,
using Skeen’s kicking to good effect and the former
Newcastle man had the chance to double his side’s lead with
a second penalty on the twenty minute mark, but this time he
hooked his effort across the front of the posts.
Boroughmuir
had suffered a slightly sluggish period, but they soon shook
that off, and as ever it was the effervescent Angus Martyn
who got them back on the front foot. The flanker took a pass
just inside the Watsonians half and powered his way through
three tackles before offloading to Rory Couper. Eventually
the ball was worked into the centre of the park and when
Watsonians were caught with their hands in the ruck,
O’Donnell made them pay by levelling the scores with a
penalty.
’Muir
really were on the front foot now, and they were soon back
in the Watson’s twenty-two. The visiting pack were making
life difficult for the referee by infringing at nearly every
breakdown, and finally his patience snapped, captain Will
Rowley being sent to the sin-bin for handling in the ruck.
Boroughmuir turned down a kick at the posts, going instead
for touch and aiming for the try. It turned out to be a good
decision, a quick tap penalty after Watsonians had again
been penalised was spun into the centre of the park and
O’Donnell span out of the tackle to touch down just wide of
the posts. He brushed himself off and added the conversion
to eke out a seven point advantage.
Watsonians
were going to be no pushovers though, and the following five
minutes saw an intense battle for superiority in the centre
of the park. It was becoming evident that either a mistake
or moment of magic would be needed to break down either
defence, and the latter is exactly what Boroughmuir got with
two minutes of the half remaining.
Taking a
ball just inside his own half, hooker Sean Crombie set a
platform with a powerful run, and scrum half Calum Cusiter
sent up a perfectly weighted box kick. Full back Scott
Stumbles was waiting for the ball just outside his
twenty-two, but the on-rushing Rory Couper timed his leap to
perfection, plucking the ball from Stumbles grasp and racing
in for the score.
The one
thing Boroughmuir couldn’t afford in the second half was a
loss of concentration, and that seemed to be exactly what
afflicted them, particularly in their defensive effort.
Skeen pushed a penalty over within four minutes of the
turnaround to close the gap slightly, but better was to come
for the Myreside team.
’Muir could
have put the game to bed not long after. From a Watsonians
scrum five metres in front of their own line, Cusiter
bundled his opposite number over the line, and when they
packed down with a ’Muir put-in, it looked inevitable that
Ben Fisher would score, but a knock-on was seen and the
visitors again cleared their lines.
It was from
this point that the real Watsonians fight back started,
though they were gifted the opportunity to do so. When
Fergus Pringle was penalised for going over the top of a
ruck just inside the Watsonians' half, ’Muir switched off
for a second, allowing Skeen to boom a kick into space
upfield. Winger Rob Cairns came across to cover, but he was
beaten by a wicked bounce of the ball which favoured Skeen
and allowed the fly-half to run in. Skeen added the
conversion himself, pulling his side to within two points.
Boroughmuir’s discipline seemed to go along with their
concentration, and as they tried to stem the Watsonians
momentum, they struggled to keep hold of possession, often
being penalised at the breakdown as the support failed to
arrive quickly enough. And with seventeen minutes of the
second half gone, the inevitable happened and Watsonians
crashed over for their second try. After ’Muir had twice
turned the ball over in the tackle, the visitors passed
through the hands and Crombie’s missed tackle on Ally Rowe
allowed the right winger to race away for the score. Skeen’s
conversion moved the gap to five points, and Watsonians
looked the far likelier winners.
One thing
that cannot be said to be lacking in this Boroughmuir
outfit; however, is spirit, and they immediately pulled
themselves together in search of a way back into the game. A
defence well organised by Skeen was providing them with
fewer chances than they have been used to this season, but
as time wore on they worked themselves closer and closer to
the line.
Finally,
with ten minutes remaining, the equalising score came. After
a good five minutes spent battering at the Watsonians line,
it was finally breached by Stephen Ruddick. The full back
had been having a fine game in his new position, his kicking
from hand relieving pressure at crucial times, but his try
came from a forward drive, picking up at the base of a ruck
and burrowing his way over. With O’Donnell off the pitch,
Ruddick took over the kicking duties and goaled his attempt
from the left touchline, putting ’Muir back in front.
With the
gap a mere two points, Watsonians were desperate for any
sort of a score, and they had their chances. Skeen pushed a
penalty wide of the posts, and twice the fly-half sat back
in the pocket for the drop goal, only to see his efforts
hooked wildly right of the uprights. Eventually Boroughmuir
got their hands on the ball and won a scrum just inside
their own half. Now in injury time, most might have expected
them to keep things tight and try to work the clock down,
but instead Cusiter, Martyn and Cairns fashioned a wonderful
break up the right wing. With the Watsonians defence still
trying to reorganise itself, prop Freddie Lait arrived and
drove round the blindside to score the bonus point try.
Ruddick again landed the difficult kick, taking a losing
bonus point away from Watsonians as he did.
With five
wins from five games and the most potent attack in the
league, Boroughmuir have begun their campaign in sparkling
fashion. Yet still they remain quite a distance from the
perfect performance that they and the coaches are striving
for. Today’s game though, saw something which has been
missing in their game for the past few years, and that is
the ability to grind out a win when things are not in their
favour. That it an important quality to have, and allied to
those already present at Meggetland, is forming a formidable
team in this season’s championship.
Boroughmuir: Stephen Ruddick;
Robert Cairns, Malcolm Clapperton, Elgan O'Donnell, Rory Couper;
Greg Cottrelln, Calum Cusiter; Danny Rutterford, Sean Crombie,
Freddie Lait; Fergus Pringle, Graeme McCallum; Olly Brown, Ben Fisher,
Angus Martyn. Subs Used Cam Ward, Joni
Hare, James Fish. Not Used: Davie Cunningham, Bruce
Aitchison |
