Saturday 15th August 2009

Hawick 10 v 43 Boroughmuir

Reporter: Simon Furnivall

Boroughmuir began their pre-season campaign with a convincing win over Premier Two side Hawick this afternoon, and in doing so ensured that they kept their hands on the Hugh MacMaster trophy. Both sides had key players missing, but neither was there merely for a summer run around, and the game was the sort of physical confrontation that will have seen both sets of coaches learn more about their players than they would from the usual pre-season match. 

’Muir had brought a number of new faces with them, but it was the returning duo of James Fish and Robert Cairns who combined for the winger to score the opening try, and that was followed by a powerful drive from the forwards which ended with Greig Scott grounding the ball for the score. Hawick fought back late in the first of three thirty minute periods and bagged a good breakaway try to add to their early penalty and ensure that they were only two points down at the break.

Changes were inevitably made for the second period, and amongst those to make his first appearance in a Boroughmuir shirt was Lynton Brinck, a flanker who threw himself at everything that moved, finished off a breakaway try to open the second period scoring, and looks to have the makings of a cult hero amongst the Meggetland fans.

There were two more tries for ’Muir in the second period, first for Tom Bury, the winger finishing off a superb backs move from first phase ball and then for hooker Shaun McMurchy – a new arrival from Stewart’s Melville – diving over the line after a break which had again prominently featured the centre pairing of Fish and Elgan O’Donnell.

McMurchy bagged himself a second score early in the final period, hitting James Fish’s pass at a good angle and powering over the line and the scoring was completed when Cairns showed that he has lost none of his pace, outsprinting the Hawick defence and just touching down from Rory McLeod’s chip ahead before it crossed the dead ball line.

There was a lot of promise shown by Boroughmuir in the game, both from the more experienced players – such as Greig Scott, Euan Matheson and Elgan O’Donnell – who will be looked at to take a leading role in the side this season and from those who are newer onto the 1^st XV scene at Meggetland. There is a group of young players around the squad now who have real potential – young prop Nick Fraser made a good impression in his time on the pitch, whilst James Buchanan enhanced his reputation – and there are plenty of reasons to be positive about the future of the club as it moves into a new era under coaches Fergus Pringle and Phil Smith.

Boroughmuir Squad: Dreddie Lait, Bronson Ross, Nick Watt, Nick Fraser, Shaun McMurchy, Greig Scott, Neale Patrick, Mike Slaney, Ally McLeod, James Buchanan, Lynton Brinck, Euan Matheson (c), Stuart McGee, Calum Cusiter, Greg Cottrell, James Fish, Elgan O'Donnell, Rob Cairns, Tom Bury, Rory McLeod, Graeme Blackhall

Match Photos