Saturday 19th September 2009

Boroughmuir 10 v 26 Heriot's

Reporter: Simon Furnivall

Boroughmuir stumbled to a second defeat in as many games, with too many errors in a strangely flat performance making it all too easy for the visitng Heriot’s side to come away with the points. Having won their opening two games of the season, consecutive defeats against last season’s top two, Ayr and Heriot’s, have somewhat sapped the momentum that was beginning to build.

Heriot’s, a side looking to bounce back from a hugely disappointing start to the season, began the game on the front foot, full back Jonny Alston sending a probing kick deep into ’Muir territory. The hosts knocked on at the resultant lineout, and Heriot’s nearly went over with a crunching run from flanker Chris Fusaro, but in the end they were awarded a penalty which scrum half Graham Wilson sent between the posts.

Boroughmuir have earned good reviews for their forward play so far this season, certainly the pack has become a big strength for the Meggetland men, and it was clear that they had the upper hand from the start in the scrum, one good shove providing a good attacking platform in the first ten minutes, but after Euan Matheson crashed into the midfield defence, Elgan O’Donnell swung a pass straight into touch as he looked for Tom Bury.

It was another good kick to touch from Alston – this time from a penalty – which brought about the visitor’s opening try. It gave them a lineout in the ’Muir twenty-two, but the chance seemed to have passed when the hosts won scrappy ball. It came out to Greg Cottrell, but the fly-half wasn’t quick enough with his clearance, seeing it charged down by ‘CJ’ Osazuwa, the lock forward just reaching the loose ball in time to touch down for the score.

Alston’s angles of running, often hitting the line in between his centres, proved throughout the game to be as much of a problem to Boroughmuir as his well placed kicking, and with the effervescent Colin Goudie always buzzing around in support, the home side were struggling to deal with Heriot’s strong running. A second penalty came Wilson’s way on seventeen minutes and the reliable scrum half made no mistake, extending his side’s lead to eleven points.

’Muir eventually won themselves the chance to open their account, a penalty from thirty metres out but in front of the posts, but Stephen Ruddick chipped his effort against the upright. Ruddick’s day got worse ten minutes later when he was sent to the sin bin as Goudie attacked down the right wing, the ’Muir full back caught entering the ruck from the side as Heriot’s looked for quick ball and told to take a rest.

Heriot’s looked like grabbing a second try at that point, but Boroughmuir defended well and managed to clear their lines through O’Donnell’s boot. And it was that boot which did finally give the home side their first points, a penalty conceded in front of the posts by Osazuwa saw the lock yellow-carded and O’Donnell slotted the simple three points.

Having spent eight minutes a man light and with Heriot’s so often looking dangerous behind the scrum, despite not often getting ball on the front foot, an eight point deficit was not as bad as it could have been for ’Muir and they had the chance to regather themselves at the break.

Three changes were made at the break, Lynton Brinck, Nick Fraser and Redha Guedroudj coming onto the field, but the restart somewhat set the tone for what was to come in the second half. Alston sent his restart high and both Neale Patrick and Greig Scott misjudged the flight, allowing Matthew Reid to collect unchallenged. The ball was recycled and Alston hit a wonderful line off Graham Hogg, and was just brought down before he crossed the line. The ’Muir defence encroached offside, conceding a penalty which Wilson arrowed between the sticks.

Boroughmuir’s main problem could perhaps have been classed under ‘tactical naïveté’, too often persisting with a kicking game when it might have been more prudent to get their big forwards running. Equally it could be said that they simply made too many mistakes, possibly trying to snatch at opportunities rather than letting them flow, at crucial times which prevented them from putting too much pressure on what hasn’t been the strongest of Heriot’s defences this season.

What has never been in doubt about Heriot’s though is the strength of their running in the back line, and they almost bagged a second try when a chip over the head of Guedroudj was collected by Alston, but with the line begging for Goudie, the pass to the winger was judged forward by referee Iain Heard and the ’Muir crowd breathed a sigh of relief.

They did get that second score before long, and it was thanks almost entirely to the much vaunted Chris Fusaro. The flanker made a searing break off the back of a scrum ten metres inside the ’Muir half, and when he was brought down by Joni Hare he presented the ball back quickly. Wilson fed Osazuwa, who almost bulldozed his way over, but when Wilson next popped the ball up it was Fusaro who took the pass and crashed over.

Despite Wilson’s missed conversion attempt, the game was now all but over as a contest and it seemed just a matter of how many the visitors would get. To their credit, ’Muir stuck to the task defensively, a superb tackle from Tom Bury denying makeshift winger Struan Dewar a score on the left wing, and some excellent work from Hare prevented both Dewar and Hogg touching down, but the third try was inevitable, and came thanks once again to Fusaro. A series of attacks had wearied the ’Muir defence, and Fusaro took full advantage, shrugging off the tackles of O’Donnell and Cottrell to score beside the posts. Wilson added the extra two points.

’Muir finally found some ‘go forward’ in the final five minutes of the match, James Fish proving what a handful he can be when he runs straight and hard at a defence, and they bagged a consolation try in injury time when O’Donnell skipped his way through a few challenges to dive in under the posts. The centre converted the score with the final kick of the game, adding a token of respectability to the score line.

It was, all in all, a disappointing defeat, perhaps more so for the fact that it wasn’t a vintage display from Heriot’s to secure victory. In the end it came down to a few individuals on the visiting side making the difference, and whilst both Wilson and Fusaro will take deserved credit for scoring crucial points, it should be Alston who takes the headlines, the full back providing a calm head and cutting edge that Boroughmuir couldn’t combat.  

Boroughmuir : Stephen Ruddick: Tom Bury, Elgan O'Donnell, James Fish, Ed Mills: Greg Cottrell, Stuart McGee: Freddie Lait, Shaun McMurchy Bronson Ross: Nealle Patrick, Greig Scott: Ally MacLeod, Euan Matheson (c), Joni Hare. Subs Used: Nick Fraser, Mike Stalley, Lynton Brinck, Redha Guedroudj

Match Photos