Saturday 16th January 2010

Edinburgh Academicals 12 v 29 Boroughmuir

Reporter: Simon Furnivall

Boroughmuir returned to action after the enforced winter shutdown of Scottish club rugby this afternoon and came away from Raeburn Place with a hugely encouraging victory. The last time that they took to the field was in the dispiriting defeat to Heriot’s at Goldenacre on December 12^th, after which Malcolm Clapperton apologised to the fans such was the paucity of their performance, but no repeat was necessary this time as his side built a win upon a steely determination and a ‘you shall not pass’ attitude to defence.

In truth the victory could have been even more imposing had the foundations not wobbled for the opening fifteen minutes of the second half, a period in which Accies used their considerable forward power to score two tries and threaten a comeback. Composure was regained, however, and judicious use of Stephen Ruddick’s atomic boot fired ’Muir back in to good field position, from where they could control the game, smothering any Accies attack with sharp defence and eventually claiming a fourth try of their own, sealing the five point win.

With Fergus Pringle still sporting a cast on his arm after the Heriot’s game and Tom Bury pulling out late on, there was a less established look to the Boroughmuir line up, including at least four players who have turned out for the 2^nd XV this season as well as Derek Murray, whose late appearance saw him complete the not inconsiderable feat of playing for all three senior teams in the same season.

The importance of a quick start had been drilled into them all week, however, and their response would have warmed the hearts of Pringle and Phil Smith in the bitterly cold conditions as, inside the first quarter of the match, ’Muir ran in three tries.

They had taken the game to the hosts right from the off, Ruddick hurtling into contact from full back and setting a platform for the forwards to pick and drive; a tactic that was always going to be useful in such conditions. Eventually they coughed up possession and allowed Accies to clear temporarily, but it wasn’t long before ’Muir crossed the line for the first time.

With the ball in Boroughmuir’s half, Graeme Blackhall stepped in to first receiver as the visitors won the fight for the ball on the ground and the inside centre kicked into the space, forcing home fly-half Ruairidh Bonner to take the ball into touch himself. ’Muir criss-crossed the pitch, working their way ever closer to the line until powerful runs from Shaun McMurchy and Nick Fraser created the space down the blindside for Clapperton to go over for the score. Blackhall lined up the conversion from the right touchline but his effort faded just left of the posts.

Having got themselves in front, Boroughmuir then stuck the knife into Accies, bagging a second try straight from the kick off. After Neale Patrick rose high and securely claimed the restart, Ruddick stepped in and punted the ball towards the wing. It seemed a simple enough ball for winger Chris Dickie to deal with, but he caught sight of opposite number Rob Cairns flying towards him and threw a panicked pass inside which experienced centre Iain Berthinussen had no chance of claiming. It proved to be hugely costly as Balckhall was the first to the loose ball, flicking an outstanding pass off the ground to Clapperton for his centre partner to canter in. Blackhall then picked himself up and added the conversion.

As if that weren’t enough of a good start, ’Muir piled the misery on the hosts with a third try on the twenty minute mark. Ironically the opportunity came after Accies had some of their best attacking territory of the game, but a knock on in the tackle allowed Calum Cusiter to hack the ball way back downfield. The Accies defence initially covered well, but Bonner perhaps inadvisedly tried to attack on his own and was wrapped up by a combination of Blackhall and Greg Cottrell, making matters worse by spilling the ball as he hit the ground. Nick Fraser was first to the loose ball and passed out to winger Ed Mills, who was left one-on-one with David Duffus and shrugged off the scrum half’s challenge to cross in the corner. Blackhall, having missed his first from out wide, had his radar sorted this time and edged his effort through the posts for the extra two points.

An increasingly frustrated Accies side began to give away penalties as the first half wore down, and Blackhall had three shots at goal, the first two from considerable distance, but he landed with the third, moving ’Muir more than three converted scores ahead at the break.

There was always the suspicion that Accies’ firebrand coach Ian Barnes would stir his troops up at half time, one suspects he can’t have been too pleased with what he had seen in the first forty minutes, and whatever was said had the desired effect as they came rocketing out of the blocks for the second half. Perhaps there was an element of the lead having been slightly too comfortable for Boroughmuir, but whatever the reason, Accies looked to have seized the initiative.

With Alex Blair and Tom Brown away with the national U-20s side, the hosts had looked short of ideas in the backline, but one thing that can never be questioned is the power of an Accies pack, and when they gained field position early in the second period it was a strength they put to good use.

After Ruddick fumbled the ball and took a face full of Accies lock Greg Campbell rather than clearing his lines, the home fans found their voice and cheered on their charges. Initially they couldn’t break through, but they were soon camped on the ’Muir line and Dan Teague eventually crossed for the try, picking up from the base of a scrum and diving over. Full back Gavin Douglas, a name who ’Muir fans may remember from when he scored five drop goals in a single game against them back in his Hawick days, added the conversion.

Boroughmuir needed simply to get the ball into the Accies half and keep it there, but mistakes began to creep into their game, allowing the home side to control the play, and before long they had try number two, fittingly scored by their number two, Mungo Strachan. A chip and chase saw Berthinussen gather the ball deep in the ’Muir twenty-two and set a platform from which prop Lewis Niven was stopped just short. A maul formed, however, and there was then no stopping them, Strachan punching a hole straight through the middle to claim the score. This time Douglas couldn’t add the extras.

With Accies’ tails now well and truly wagging, ’Muir had to regather themselves and make sure that they played the game in the right areas of the pitch. With Euan Matheson and Phil Cronin on in place of the injured Neale Patrick and Lynton Brinck, and then Freddie Lait sent on for the tireless Nick Fraser, ’Muir were hoping that fresher legs would tell, and unsurprisingly they did. With the help of Ruddick’s boot to clear their lines, the visitors started to put the pressure back on their hosts, forcing them to kick possession away or risk trying to play through the forwards from distance. When they tried the latter they found both ’Muir flankers, Mike Stalley and Jamie Doubleday, in absolutely top form and beginning to re-assert their first half dominance of the breakdown.

It now seemed a question only of whether Boroughmuir could get the fourth try, and potentially vital bonus point that accompanied it. As the game slid into its final ten minutes, Euan Matheson almost bagged said try but was held up over the line. ’Muir weren’t going to let the opportunity pass them by, however, and after a series of pick and drives, it was Freddie Lait who emerged having touched the ball down, though his later claims of having run in from sixty yards held little weight. Blackhall added his third conversion of the day to close out the scoring.

The performance, and subsequent win in today’s game have to be viewed in the context of the season. In a title-winning campaign, this would have been a stuffy performance and perhaps unconvincing win; in one over which the spectre of relegation hangs, it is a performance defined by exactly the sort of guts, courage and determination that needs to be shown, and which can hopefully provide a springboard for brighter things as the New Year continues.

Boroughmuir : Stephen Ruddick; Rob Cairns, Malcolm Clapperton (c), Graeme Blackhall, Ed Mills: Greg Cottrell, Calum Cusiter: Nick Fraser, Shaun McMurchie, Bronson Ross: Greig Scott, Neale Patrick, Mike Stalley: Lynton Brinck, Jamie Doubleday. Subs Used: Freddie Lait, Euan Matheson, Phil Cronin, Stuart McGee, Derek Murray

Match Photos