Saturday 12th December 2009

Heriot's 40 v 14 Boroughmuir

Reporter: Simon Furnivall

'That wasn't acceptable, not by my standards and not by Boroughmuir's standards.' Those were the damning words of Boroughmuir captain Malcolm Clapperton after his side had meekly surrendered to Heriot's at Goldenacre yesterday, and harsh though they may sound, it is difficult to disagree with his assessment. A six try defeat is never easy to accept, but after the improvement in their performance last week against Ayr, this felt like 'back to square one', and that's a place where Boroughmuir cannot afford to linger for long.

For the first ten minutes of the game, 'Muir competed well and looked the equals of their Heriot's counterparts, but from the moment Colin Goudie scythed his way across the pitch, cutting through the visiting defence with apparent ease and only denied a stunning solo try by the despairing tackle of winger Tom Bury, Heriot's were in complete control. They bagged three tries in each half, and could have had a few more, but they did more than enough to show the difference in class between the two sides.

The day had not begun well for Boroughmuir when club captain Euan Matheson pulled up in the warm-up and was replaced in the starting line-up by Lynton Brinck. New recruit Jamie Doubleday took Brinck's place on the bench. Injuries have been something of a theme for 'Muir this season and they weren't done for the day; within the first quarter of an hour both Greg Cottrell and Fergus Pringle had been forced off the field, player/coach Pringle with what looked to be a serious arm injury.

That meant that Doubleday, who had been meant to make his introduction for the club from the 2^nd XV subs bench, was given an early opportunity to impress with the 1^st XV whilst Edinburgh professional Steve Jones got his first taste of rugby for Boroughmuir, replacing Cottrell at fly-half. Both Doubleday and Jones were among the more impressive performers for 'Muir, Jones in particular showing a real attitude of determination to do well for his new club. 

Of course it wasn't enough to stop Heriot's running away with the game. Before the hosts took the lead, Boroughmuir full back Stephen Ruddick had chipped a penalty attempt wide of the posts and Cottrell had been forced off having been caught with a huge hit from flanker Chris Fusaro. It was Colin Goudie, enhancing his reputation as one of , if not the best runners in the league, who set the opportunity up, cutting his run between Greig Scott and Bronson Ross before pinning his ears back for the corner. He didn't make it, hauled down two metres short by Bury, and when the ball was recycled, lock Matthew Reid knocked on as he crashed over the line. Unfortunately for 'Muir, their chance to clear their lines was given up when scrum half Stuart McGee was penalised for feeding at the scrum and Graham Wilson took the free kick quickly, passing to Scotland 7s veteran Mark Lee, who battered his way over for the score. Wilson added the conversion superbly from the right touchline.

It didn't take long for the home side to bag their second try, and this time it was Goudie who crossed the line. In the first play after Pringle had left the field, injured as he tackled prop Alan Dymock, Heriot's struck from a scrum just inside the Boroughmuir half, two phases sucking in the Boroughmuir defence before Goudie broke down the left wing and powered through McGee's tackle on the line to score. Wilson couldn't add the extras this time.

Heriot's had their offloading game working wonderfully now and were cutting through the Boroughmuir line almost at will, Max Nimmo linking with Johnny Alston to work their way up the right wing before Glasgow pro David McCall took the ball on and was stopped just short. 'Muir couldn't clear their lines before Heriot's bagged their third try, Dylon Mason spotting a gap and diving over from the back of a ruck before Wilson added his second conversion of the day.

There were only twenty one minutes gone when Mason crossed for the third try and there was a worry that by half time any interest or contest in the game would be done and dusted. However, 'Muir were beginning to get something of a game together, particularly in the final ten minutes of the half and they scraped an all important try before the break, Clapperton and Bury dribbling the ball upfield between them for the former to touch down. Jones had taken over the kicking duties from Ruddick and added an impressive conversion.

It seemed slightly incongruous at half time that, given the dominance Heriot's had exhibited for most of the match, Boroughmuir were still in the game, albeit only if they grabbed the first score of the second period. They needed a fast start and a jinking run from Ed Mills showed that they were in the mood, but again it was Heriot's who had the extra gears and they moved through them seamlessly.

On forty-nine minutes the essentially game-clinching score game, and it was a wonderful solo effort from fly-half Richard Mill. Having stolen line out ball from Boroughmuir, Heriot's tied themselves up for ten metres in a good maul before Wilson shipped a pass out to Mill. The fly-half spotted a mis-match against Joni Hare and Freddie Lait and stepped off his right foot, cutting between the two and arcing his run outside Ruddick to claim the score. Wilson again added the conversion.

It was now merely a question of how many for the home side, and they scored their fifth of the day in a disappointing fashion for Boroughmuir. From first phase play, just inside their own half, Alston angled a run to take an inside pass from Wilson off the back of a scrum and barely a 'Muir hand was laid on him before he offloaded to flanker Peter Eccles, who romped over for the score under the posts, making Wilson's conversion his simplest of the day.

Their sixth and final try was a suitable end to the scoring, a Mark Lee try, converted by Wilson, both opened and closed the scoring, the back rower crashing over from close range to the left of the posts. Before that, Boroughmuir had grabbed themselves a consolation in the form of a try by Brinck – the South African's attitude in the face of adversity was exemplary – as he picked up at the base of a ruck close to the line and powered over for the score.

When all said and done, however, despite the odd positive which can be found, this was, as Clapperton put it, 'not acceptable'. Things were made far too easy for Heriot's, a lack of competition at the break down and too many missed tackles are not deficiencies which can be masked, and it is too often a case of one step forward then two backwards for Boroughmuir this season. Their inconsistency could cost them in the dearest terms come the end of the campaign, and it will not be enough to simply hope that the flip side of the coin turns up for Friday's crucial clash against Watsonians at Meggetland.

Boroughmuir : Stephen Ruddick; Tom Bury, Malcolm Clapperton (c), Mark Hare, Ed Mills: Greg Cottrell, Stuart McGee: Nick Fraser, Bronson Ross, Freddie Lait: Greig Scott, Fergus Pringle, Cammy Orr: Lynton Brinck, Joni Hare. Subs Used: Shaun McMurchy, Scott Wilson, Janie Doubleday, Steve Jones - Not Used: Rob Cairns

Match Photos