Saturday 20th February 2010

Boroughmuir 32 v 26 Melrose

Reporter: Simon Furnivall

It has to be said that there were hearts in mouths at Meggetland this afternoon when, four minutes into injury time at the end of the match, substitute centre Jamie Murray crashed over for a try which Scott Wight converted, bringing the Borders club to within six points of their hosts. Were Boroughmuir about to imitate Scotland’s performance from seven days earlier and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory? Thankfully not as full back Stephen Ruddick calmly marched the ball back to half way and thumped his restart as far into touch as he could, the sound of the referee’s final whistle seconds later was sweet relief to Meggetland ears.

The game had looked dead and buried with Boroughmuir leading 29-12 and less than ten minutes left, but such has been the their season, one couldn’t help but worry had Melrose been able to build another phase of play.

In truth such a finish would as far against the nature of the game as Scotland’s defeat at the Millennium Stadium last Saturday; for the vast majority of the game it was the home side who were controlling affairs, led by a tireless back row of Phil Cronin, Jamie Doubleday and captain Euan Matheson, who provided quick ball for the own backs and slowed down much of Melrose’s possession.

Doubleday had already piqued the interest of fans before he even took to the field for his debut at Goldenacre in December; a former Bath academy player who learned his trade as a centre and who, since joining Edinburgh University had, in his own words ‘dabbled’ with playing at fly-half was now making a serious fist of turning himself into a bullocking number eight. A two try performance in such an important victory as today’s was hardly a poor way to introduce himself.

But his back row colleagues certainly made sure that they did not go unnoticed. Club captain Euan Matheson, a man who has seemingly been an injury doubt for most of the season, picked himself off the treatment table and tackled himself to a standstill. Phil Cronin, on the other hand, who has had to wait a long time for his first start for the club after the rash of postponements that have plagued the past two months, showed a distinct lack of interest in his own wellbeing as he repeatedly put his body on the line at the breakdown.

With so little rugby having been played since the turn of the year there had to be the expectation that both sides would be a little rusty, but instead Boroughmuir came flying out of the blocks and had a try on the board inside two minutes. Malcolm Clapperton, showing the sort of form that won him his place in the Scotland Club International side, scythed outside opposite number Craig Jackson, putting the visitors well on the back foot. Wingers Tom Bury and Ed Mills then combined to take the ball deep into the Melrose twenty two before it was recycled and swung across the pitch, Clapperton and James Fish showing soft hands to flick the ball out to hooker Shaun McMurchy, who beat Garry Elder for pace and scored in the corner. Ruddick couldn’t convert from the touchline, but it was an encouraging start for the home side nonetheless.

With a fly-half of the undoubted talent of Scott Wight in their ranks, Melrose are always a dangerous team when they get on the front foot, but though they had a fair chunk of possession as the game got into its stride, so often by the time that Wight had ball in hand he was looking at an organised Boroughmuir defence and he had no gaps through which to send his centres or his big running forwards.

The visitors were clearly growing frustrated and ‘Muir almost capitalised with a break when Fish managed to free his arms in a tackle and pop a lovely pass to Bronson Ross at full steam but the Kiwi prop couldn’t hold on and the chance was gone.

It wasn’t too long before the next chance presented itself, however, and when it did Boroughmuir took full advantage. Having won a penalty in their own half when back row forward Ross Miller was penalised for holding onto the ball in contact, Ruddick caught the Melrose defence cold with a quick tap. Clapperton and Fish made ground before Greg Cottrell chipped ahead, forcing Fraser Thomson to clear into touch just in front of his own goal line.

Boroughmuir piled the pressure on from the lineout and then a scrum five with phase after phase of patient build up play. The forwards continually made hard yards and kept the ball safe before Greig Scott was held just inches short and then Calum Cusiter fired a pass out to Matheson, who span out of a tackle and shipped the ball to Doubleday who dived in for the score. Ruddick’s conversion from wide on the left struck the post and bounced out, denying him the extra two points.

Any thoughts of an easy win were soon dispelled, however, in a five minute spell that was as much to do with Boroughmuir taking their foot off the gas as it was Melrose picking up the pace. The first of the two tries they ran in during this period was a horribly simple one for ’Muir to concede, McMurchy’s throw at the lineout grazing Cronin’s fingertips before bouncing up kindly for Melrose flanker Grant Runciman, the flanker, who isn’t nineteen until May, showing a stunning turn of pace to race in from forty metres.

Wight missed the conversion, but his aim was better next time, and from further out when Kiwi winger Ben Allen touched down on the left flank. Hooker Lindsey Gibson had barrelled through a tackle by Neale Patrick to get deep into Boroughmuir’s twenty-two and set the platform, the ball then sprayed wide with Allan Dodds coming into the line to provide the extra man, and offloading to Allen who had a simple, short run in.

Suddenly Boroughmuir found themselves behind and it stayed that way to half time. Phil Cronin spoke after the game of the sense of disappointment in the dressing room during the interval, that they had let such a position slip from their hands and a determination to make it right.

The second half started with a game of ping pong that was to nobody’s liking, but it took ’Muir only nine minutes to restore their advantage. Having gained field position in Melrose’s half, a lovely flat pass from replacement fly half Graeme Blackhall put Matheson into contact at pace and the flanker managed to offload to Bronson Ross, who in turn passed to Tom Bury. The winger flew towards the line but was taken out by a high tackle from Ben Allen and, showing real intent, ’Muir decided to take a scrum from the resultant penalty.

Jamie Doubleday picked up from the base of the scrum and powered his way forward a few yards before John Dalziel managed to bring him down, but then replacement prop Justin Va’a picked up and slipped through the despairing grasp of Richard Higgins before diving over the line. The Glasgow professional and Samoan international clearly enjoyed his first try in Boroughmuir colours, and Blackhall nudged the conversion between the posts for the extra two points.

With the confidence now flowing again, the home fans had only another three minutes to wait for their bonus point try, and it was a deserved score for centre James Fish. A clearance kick downfield by James King was fielded by ’Muir winger Ed Mills and the Munsterman, one of the best broken field runners in the league, set off at pace. He skipped past four defenders before he was eventually stopped, and even then he kept play alive with an offload to Clapperton.

The evergreen centre cut a superb angle back infield but was hauled down just short of the line by Wight. He had Blackhall on his shoulder though and found the pass which was shifted on quickly, and though the ball took a bounce before Fish crashed onto it, there was no one able to stop the Boroughmuir number twelve from claiming his second try of the season.

Boroughmuir were now playing with a real spark and Mills almost set up another try with a jinking run, his long pass out right finding Bury, who skipped outside King but saw his attempted pass to the supporting Mills knocked into touch by Wight. Not even Wight’s cultured left boot could clear the danger for long, however, and just after the hour mark ’Muir had score number five.

Having won a lineout in the Melrose half, the Boroughmuir forwards pumped the legs hard and drove a maul well into the visitors’ twenty-two before Cusiter swung the ball out to the backs. Clapperton arced his run outside Jamie Murray, allowing Ruddick to cut back on the angle and make even more ground.

Nick Fraser, the young prop who had only come on moments beforehand, took a quick pass from the breakdown and powered his way close to the line; when the ball was recycled again, Fish found himself in the fly-half role with Doubleday on his shoulder, the number eight’s pedigree as a centre shining through as he picked the perfect angle to cut inside King and then power through Callum Anderson’s tackle and over the line. Having missed his last conversion attempt, Blackhall made no mistake this time.

It was perhaps inevitable at this point, with the precarious nature of Boroughmuir’s position in the league table and Melrose now in kitchen sink mode, that the hosts would go into their shell a little, but still the defensive hits were made as time on the clock wore further and further down.

Eventually, with seven minutes left, Melrose did find the try they were looking for, a well worked first phase move ending with Callum Anderson cutting through the ’Muir backs and over for the score which Wight converted. The gap was soon eased out to twelve points, however, Blackhall taking the first penalty shot at goal in the game, sending his kick straight between the posts from fifteen metres in on the left.

That left time only for Murray to score, though he almost managed not to as he played chicken with the dead ball line, but it was only good enough to claim the visitors two points as Ruddick thundered his restart straight off the park.

Whilst this win by no means guarantees Boroughmuir’s safety in Premier One for another season, it is a massive step in the right direction. With Stewart’s Melville having lost to Watsonians this afternoon, their relegation was confirmed, leaving only one spot open to join them in Premier Two next season. A lot of weight will be placed on ’Muir’s meeting with rivals Watsonians, but the truth of the matter is that the Meggetland side’s fate is in their own hands, it is now up to them to see it out.

Boroughmuir : Stephen Ruddick; Tom Bury: Malcolm Clapperton, James Fish, Ed Mills: Greg Cottrell, Calum Cusiter: Freddie Lait, Shaun McMurchy, Bronson Ross: Greig Scott, Neale Patrick: Euan Matheson, Jamie Doubleday, Phil Cronin. Subs Used: Justin Va'a, Nick Fraser, Mike Stalley, Graeme Blackhall, Rob Cairns

Match Photos