Girls’ U16 Shield: Annan RFC v Dumfries Saints RFC

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Annan were the first winners of the day after an entertaining contest against Dumfries Saints on the Back Pitch at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, claiming the Girls’ U16 National Shield title.

Dumfries Saints were first on the scoreboard after Murrin Halliday broke down the left wing and offloaded to full-back Gabriella Hamlet.

Annan were quick to strike back, working through the phases to push into the Saints’ 22. After a series of strong carries from the forward pack, Aylish Kerr dotted down under the sticks to level the score.

Annan added a second try when Marnie Gale powered across the line from close range. Full-back Anna Canning added the extras, putting Annan into the lead for the first time.

From the restart, Dumfries were quick off the mark to start their attack. A fantastic break through the middle from Islay Mackenzie saw her safely offload the ball to Lucy Giles to dot down under the sticks. Giles also added the conversion and the score was once again levelled.

It wasn’t long however, before Annan retook the lead after a line break from Megan Hutchinson into Dumfries territory allowed Pagan Mitchell to gather and sprint down the right wing and dot down. Canning once again converted.

HALF-TIME: Annan RFC 19 – 12 Dumfries Saints RFC

Dumfries came firing out the blocks in the second half, scoring within the opening minute. A break through Annan’s defence from McKenzie saw the team work through offloading phases to reach Hamlet, who crossed the whitewash, taking the score within two points.

The Saints quickly pushed themselves back into the lead when Hamlet went across the line for her third try of the match.

After sustained pressure inside Annan’s 22, Saints once again scored with hooker, Zara Fisher, crashing over the line for five.

Despite Annan’s best defensive efforts, Dumfries continued to push their way into their opposition’s territory and closer to the try line. After a series of infringements, Annan’s Shaenah Quinn was shown a yellow card, and just moment later Fisher crashed over again for Saints. Giles converted successfully.

But Annan were not deterred, continuing to show their fighting spirit in the game. After a series of strong carries, Annan’s Hutchinson blasted through the wall of black and white to push herself across the whitewash. Canning converted successfully.

With less than five minutes left on the clock, Annan continued to show their determination with strong attacking carries. Fast footwork from Evie Stuart, saw the stand-off dot down for five, with her teammate, Canning, adding the extras to take the score within one point.

As the timer reached closer to the red zone, Annan continued to stretch the Saints defence despite a fantastic change down from McKenzie. An Annan scrum on Dumfries’ five meter line saw the ball released to Canning, before Giles crashed over from close range to give Annan the lead and the win.

FULL TIME: Annan RFC 38 – 34 Dumfries Saints RFC

Referee: Alana McLean
AR1: Sophie Tougher-Mitchell
AR2: Victoria Lindsay-McGee

Annan RFC

15. Anna Canning 14. Maddy Grierson 13. Emily Harrison 12. Eva Cable 11. Pagan Mitchel 10. Evie Stuart 9. Shaenah Quinn CAPTAIN 1. Marnie Gale 2. Aylish Kerr 3. Megan Hutchinson 4. Calise Smith 5. Louisa Colledge 8. Josie Halliday

Replacements: 16. Jessica Sokolowski

Dumfries Saints RFC

15. Gabriella Hamlet 14. Murrin Halliday 13. Rebecca Rae 12. Lucy Giles 11. Kasey McMath 10. Arran Macaulay 9. Rebekah Hamilton 1. Emily Hyslop 2. Zara Fisher 3. Islay Mackenzie Wilson CAPTAIN 4. Eve Bruce 5. Kiana Fell 8. Amy Hamilton

Replacements: 16. Josie Skilling 17. Anna Brown 18. Sophie Fleming 19. Elsie Wilson 20. Katelyn Stewart 21. Darci McCullough 22. Grier Kirkpatrick

Girls’ U16 Cup: Biggar RFC v Stirling County RFC

Biggar RFC lifted the Girls’ U16 Cup after defeating a resilient and talented Stirling County team 38-19.

An even and action packed first half saw both teams score three tries apiece, the highlight being a stunning ‘coast-to-coast’ score by Biggar full-back Neve Murray who collected the ball behind her own line and broke cover defence to run the length of the Hive Stadium pitch.

That try saw Biggar take the lead after opening the scoring through Beth Bailie on 10 minutes only for Stirling County to strike back immediately from the restart through an Emma Anderson try as she ran in from outside the Biggar 22, with a Heather Wood conversion adding to the score.

Biggar capitalised again through forward Caitlin Tweedie, who carried hard all game, and broke through the defence following a tapped penalty to extend the lead, supported by an Emma Wyllie conversion, to take the score to 17-7.

Stirling County bounced back in quick succession with two well worked tries of their own as the momentum of the first half swung back their way.

First pacy winger Jasmin Haddow dotted down to finish off an arcing run from deep in the Biggar half, converted by Heather Wood, followed two minutes later when centre Emma Anderson scored her second try of the day.

This gave Stirling County a two-point lead on half time and set the game up nicely for another closely contested half.

HALF TIME: Biggar RFC 17 – 19 Stirling County RFC

Biggar started the second 30 minutes well and established a foothold in the Stirling County half through a series of penalties.

Their pressure paid off after an evenly contested opening period of the second half when Erin Stewart fought her way to the line after Lilly Clarkson carried hard into the Stirling defence from a tapped penalty. Wyllie converted.

Both sides continued to win turnovers on the floor and keep their defensive shape for long periods of the second half which was a tighter and more physical contest.

Biggar had the better of possession and were keeping the attack moving through fly-half Sophie Mellanby who took the ball to the line time and again bringing her centres into the game more and more.

Stirling continued to press when opportunities arose and were unlucky not to score, held up right on the line at one stage, which allowed Biggar to clear.

From a scrum inside their own half Biggar produced their second long-range score of the day when Sophie Mellanby broke the defensive line with good footwork to race in and score on 46 minutes. Wyllie again adding the extras.

Stirling never stopped believing and continued to look for space out wide but the cover defence held firm.

In the end it was the eventual Player of the Match Mellanby who gave Biggar the winning score with her second try of the day from close range on 58 minutes to round off a mature and eye-catching performance. Wyllie slotted her third conversion of the half to close the scoring.

FULL TIME: Biggar RFC 38 – 19 Stirling County RFC

Player of the Match: Sophie Mellanby (Biggar)

Referee: Niamh Hay
AR1: Hannah Stewart
AR2: Kaylee McKervail

Biggar RFC

15. Neve Murray 14. Eve Storie 13. Beth Bailie 12. Emma Wyllie 11. Zara Oattes 10. Sophie Mellanby 9. Skye Anderson 1. Lilly Clarkson CO-CAPTAIN 2. Libby Cuthbertson 3. Cate Leiper 4. Caitlin Hoad 5. Caitlin Tweedie 8. Autumn MacDougall CO-CAPTAIN

Replacements: 16. Erin Stewart 17. Jess Cuthbertson 18. Sophie Earl 19. Morgan Gemmell 20. Grace Bartholomew 21. Mya McVeigh 22. Valentina McAlpine

Stirling County RFC

15. Heather Wood 14. Zoe Campbell 13. Emma Anderson 12. Keira Forrest 11. Jasmine Haddow 10. Hannah Blair 9. Leah Sinclair 1. Sophie Lawrence 2. Emily Sansom CAPTAIN 3. Phoebe Wicks 4. Rebecca Wynne 5. Niamh Ogg 8. Steph Antczak

Replacements: 16. Karis Allison 17. Sylvie Clarke 18. Asha Doak 19. Joely Ledingham 20. Piper Malley-Smith 21. Aoife Powrie-Smith 22. Sophie Scott

Boys U16 Cup Final: Currie Chieftains v Hawick Youth

Currie Chieftains were victorious in the competitive Boys U16 Cup Final held at Scottish Gas Murrayfield. Both teams brought a loud supportive crowd with them, so the atmosphere was fantastic for the duration of the match.

Both teams took a couple of minutes to get settled into the match. But it wasn’t long until Currie’s Ben Fraser had a break down the right wing to gain some valuable ground. This led to the first try of the match by Arthur Pearce who crossed the whitewash of Scottish Gas Murrayfield within the first five minutes.

Currie made the most of this early momentum and following a line out drive, their number 8 Josh Elliott extended the lead.

The pressure was on for Hawick, and they quickly made sure they put points on the scoreboard. As they gained ground, a well-aimed tap and go from Harry Wear gave Connor McLeod the chance to dive over the try line. A successful conversion followed from Steven Parr.

Despite the captain for Hawick coming off with an injury, they continued to put the pressure on. A couple of set pieces later and it felt like Hawick were set to lead the possession for the rest of the half. However, Currie had other plans. They took the possession back and following some strong phases and impressive offloads, McDonald scored in the corner.

It was an even and action filled remainder to the first half with Currie maintaining their early lead.

HALF TIME: Currie Chieftains 15 – 7 Hawick Youth

Hawick gathered some extra points early in the second half following a successful penalty from Parr.

Currie had a couple of great breaks down the wings but the first try of the second half came from winger Sam Beaton after a sustained period of attack.

Hawick got a surprise try following a charged down kick in the dead ball that Harry Wear dotted down. Successful conversion from Parr followed.

Parr had a fab break through the Currie line, putting pressure on the Edinburgh team but they responded well and some nifty feet from Fraser helped to extend their lead.

Momentum massively in their favour, it was the turn of Blair Smith to score under the posts.

Not wanting to be outdone, Hawick were determined until the final minutes. They showed that with a quick try under the posts from Parr, closing the gap again but sadly it was not enough as the full time whistle followed minutes later.

A hugely competitive match with some incredible individual and team performances from both sides but it was Currie who held onto their early lead to lift the Cup.

Hawick’s Steven Parr put in an impressive display for the full 70 minutes, but the Player of the match medal was awarded to Currie’s Ben McDonald.

FULL TIME: Currie Chieftains 32 – 22 Hawick Youth

Player of the Match: Ben McDonald (Currie Chieftains)

Referee: Michael Bosman
AR1: Scott Cubitt
AR2: Willie Anderson

Currie Chieftains

15. Ben Fraser 14. Euan Gettinby 13. Ben McDonald 12. Jack McLay CAPTAIN 11. Sam Beaton 10. Tom Rankin 9. Lewis Forge 1. Arthur Pearce 2. Fraser Hanning 3. Jay Taylor 4. Gregor Thomas 5. Blair Smith 6. Ben Young 7. Hamish Hunter 8. Josh Elliott

Replacements: 16. Lewis Bowman 17. Finlay Struthers 18. Evan Phillips 19. Logan Young 20. Hamish Robertson 21. Finlay McCool 22. Alex Barnett

Hawick Youth

15. Ruairidh Oliver 14. Jordan Garcia 13. Steven Parr 12. Connor McLeod 11. Lachlan Beukes 10. Harry Wear 9. Joe Yallop 1. Ciaran Cannon 2. Caden Szoneberg CAPTAIN 3. Hanna Khoury 4. Daniel Lewis 5. Niall Vevers 6. Liam Gourley 7. Ollie Robson 8. Kuba Wydro

Replacements: 16. Noah Samson 17. Josh Wight 18. Thomas Oliver 19. Jaiden Donaldson 20. Erick Rall 21. Harris Common 22. Adi Rutkowski

Boys U16 Shield Final: GHA RFC v Gala Red Triangle

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GHA were off to a flying start after Daniel McCallum crossed over from close range, with Declan McCluskey slotting the conversion through the posts.

The game ebbed and flowed for the next 15 minutes but after period of sustained pressure, Gala got their first points on the board courtesy of a successful penalty attempt by Hamish Seggie.

GHA were able to extend their early lead, with Callum Graham dotting down moments later.

Gala’s response was swift, however, with Chistopher Luptak crossing the whitewash, with a conversion from Seggie narrowing the gap to two points at the break.

HALF-TIME: GHA RFC 12-10 Gala Red Triangle

Moments into the second-half, Gala were able to take the lead for the first time in the game as Oisin Beard cruised over the line, followed by another conversion by Seggie.

Buoyed by the growing momentum, Gala were soon back on the scoreboard when skipper Sam Scott darted over the line.

Sensing another opportunity, Gala were soon on the attack again and were able to capitalise when Beard sauntered under the posts for his second try of the match, with Seggie converting the score.

GHA were soon looking to bounce back after a brilliant solo effort from captain Ciaran Fitzpatrick saw the full-back weave his way through the defence before scoring under the posts, with Gordon Grant slotting through the conversion.

In a tense few minutes before the full-time whistle, GHA were able pull themselves back into contention as a score from Gordon Grant brought the side to a narrow five-point gap.

In the last minute of the match, Beard was able to secure the win for the side after claiming a hat-trick and sealing his Player-of-the-Match award, with Seggie hitting target with the conversion.

FULL TIME: GHA RFC 24-36 Gala Red Triangle

Player of the Match: Oisin Beard (Gala Red Triangle)

Referee: Michael Milner
AR1: Euan Maguire
AR2: Murray Oliver

Gala Red Triangle

15. Ethan Gullen 14. Nathan Trayner 13. Michael Warner 12. Oisin Beard 11. Winston Cross 10. Hamish Seggie VICE-CAPTAIN 9. Fraser Paterson 1. Archie McIntyre 2. Christopher Watt 3. Robert Smith 4. Chistopher Luptak 5. Sean Graham 6. David Grabowski 7. Max Murray 8. Sam Scott CAPTAIN

Replacements: 16. Joseph Wallace 17. Jakub Szott 18. Euan Bryan 19. Aaron Johnston 20. Bailey Paterson 21. Finlay Hughes 22. Ben McColm

GHA RFC

15. Ciaran Fitzpatrick CAPTAIN 14. Adam Dale 13. Kinnon Boyle 12. Declan McCluskey 11. Dylan Devany 10. Callum Howieson 9. Connor Masterton 1. Callum Graham 2. Daniel Logan 3. Daniel McCallum 4. Lochie Davis 5. John Cairnduff 6. Reece Palmer 7. Liam Cox 8. Rory Baxter VICE-CAPTAIN

Replacements: 16. Lachlan Douglas-Kellie 17. Hatim Ahmad 18. Isaac Muhammad 19. Gordon Grant  20. Archie Price 21. Robert Morrison

Girls’ U18 Shield: Dumfries Saints RFC v Garioch RFC

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The Garioch Girls made history today not just in getting to their first Youth Final but in also walking away victorious.

It was Garioch who opened the scoring at Hive Stadium this afternoon when Isla Sanderson stormed down the pitch and a strategic inside pass to skipper Megan Riach helped her over the line. Saba Alexander’s conversion was successful, and the seven points were secured on the board.

Dumfries Saints got their first try of the game at the 26-minute mark after spending a lengthy time deep in Garioch’s 22. It was Captain Daisy McFegan who was able to spot the gap in the defence and she squeezed herself through for the try. Extras were missed.

Garioch’s impressive defensive work was being put to the test, but Dumfries Saints were able to add their second try after Kacee Knox powered over the line from close range. Amy Peacock’s kick was a good one and the West outfit took the lead for the first time as they entered the break.

HALF TIME: Dumfries Saints RFC 12 – 7 Garioch RFC

It took a bit of back and forth for the game to fully get back underway, but it wasn’t long before Garioch’s powerhouse prop Joscelyn Norrie charged through for the first try of the second half. The conversion was successful and Garioch stepped back into the lead.

A knock-on sent the girls in navy back to the 20-metre line, however, it didn’t take long for Megan Riach to go over for her brace. The conversion was missed but Garioch remained in front.

Dumfries Saints retaliated quickly with a try of their own from Louise Taperell who pushed herself through the defence to the tryline. The kick was a good one and the scoreboard evened.

Garioch continued to build on their momentum they had accumulated in the second half and Captain Megan Riach went over for her hat-trick try. Extras was missed.

With less than eight minutes left on the clock Dumfries Saints were determined not to conceded as Daisy McFegan flew up the wing for her second try of the match. The conversion was missed and the scoreboard was levelled once again.

It was a nail-biting finish at Hive Stadium as the clock had turned red but not before Garioch could put one more try on the board. Curtesy of Player of the Match Jocelyn Norrie who thundered through the defence for her second try and secured the victory for the northern outfit. The conversion went wide but the Garioch Girls had made history by walking away with their first ever Youth Final win.

FULL TIME: Dumfries Saints RFC 24 – 29 Garioch RFC

Player of the Match: Jocelyn Norrie (Garioch RFC)
Referee: Yvonne Tunnicliff
AR1: Mary Carol Dixon
AR2: Lee Anne Steel

Dumfries Saints RFC

15. Maison Dunn 14. Mirryn Fergusson 13. Kelcie Smith 12. Skyla Smith 11. Aggie Wright 10. Amy Peacock 9. Daisy McFegan CAPTAIN 1. Kacee Knox 2. Carla Nicholson 3. Louise Taperell 4. Molly Russell 5. Zara Kilpatrick 6. Mikélla Burg 7. Ellen Menzies 8. Mika Walls

Replacements: 16. Harriet Bowran 17. Libby Nelson 18. Lucy Begg 19. Lorna Cannon 20. Bethany Feather

Garioch RFC

15. Eilidh Hay 14. Thiplada Crofts 13. Josie Foubister 12. Nia Howard 11. Tamzin Rosie 10. Saba Alexander 9. Jane Curry 1. Megan Riach CAPTAIN 2. Isabella Ashley 3. Joscelyn Norrie 4. Layla Mitchell 5. Freya Sanderson 6. Kirsty Maclachlan 7. Eilidh Craig 8. Isla Sanderson

Replacements:16. Paula Brence 17. Phoebe Lawson 18. Emily Forgie 19. Sarah Dunnett 20. Juliet Cairns 21. Rosie Lamplugh 22. Maisie Williamson

Girls’ U18 Cup: Biggar v Stirling County

Biggar completed a cup double over Stirling County with a comprehensive 41-12 win on the Scottish Gas Murrayfield pitch in the U18 Girls’ Cup final.

Biggar earned the bragging rights with an earlier 38-19 win in the U16 Girls’ Cup Final earlier in the day at Hive Stadium.

In the U18 Final after a tight first half Biggar scored four unanswered tries in the second half to take the game away from a committed Stirling County side who fought to the very end.

Scores from Biggar winger Niamh MacGregor at the start of each half saw her named Player of the Match.

The game started with an early exchange of penalties and some understandably nervy handling led to a sequence of scrums before the Biggar winger MacGregor opened the scoring from a wide pass by fly-half Poppy Mellanby which took out the last defender giving Macgregor space to run in from the halfway line.

Stirling County responded immediately as the ball went through the hands of the backs for full-back Emily Norval to cross out wide and sensibly finishing under the posts.

Stirling then took the lead shortly after and broke through again with full-back Emily Norval grabbing her second as the ball went wide and her pace beat the defence.

Biggar were struggling to hold on to possession to build an attack but slowly got back into a rhythm and held the majority of the territory and possession as the opening 35 minutes half drew to a close with the teams tied on 12-12.

The deadlock was broken off a lineout with Biggar fly-half Poppy Mellanby scything through the County defence with some neat footwork and determined pace to give Biggar the halftime lead.

HALF TIME: Biggar 19 – 12 Stirling County

Biggar winger Niamh MacGregor then took just 46-secs in the second half to score her second as she ducked through a couple of tackles to break clear of the Stirling defence and finish.

While Stirling County worked hard to create opportunities they were unable to build consistent pressure on their opponents to get a foothold back in the game.

Spurred on by their defensive confidence Biggar began to take the initiative as the game progressed and scored out wide on 53 minutes through winger Mhairi MacGregor.

Biggar number 8 and captain Imogen Spence and fellow back row Holly Wilson carried well throughout the game with their power starting to tell in the final quarter and was finally rewarded with Wilson dived over from short range under the posts on the hour mark to extend the score.

Stirling County were still working hard and trying to build attacks and territory but were undone with penalties which stifled any momentum.

Biggar could see the finish line and sealed the win with the final play on 70 minutes when number 4 Eve Walker scored after a final spell of pressure in the Stirling 22.

FULL TIME: Biggar 41 – 12 Stirling County

Player of the Match: Niamh MacGregor (Biggar)

Referee: Beatriz Casares Fernandez
AR1: Madeleine Bullen
AR2: Jess Butler

Biggar

15. Sarah Murray 14. Iona Kane 13. Freya Lejkowski 12. Abigail Barrett 11. Niamh MacGregor 10. Poppy Mellanby 9. Annabel Godfrey 1. Emma Logan 2. Skye Cullen 3. Kyra Calikes 4. Eve Walker 5. Lucy McCutcheon 6. Holly Wilson 7. Emily Coubrough 8. Imogen Spence CAPTAIN

Replacements: 16. Ashley Court 17. Natasha Kimm 18. Mhairi MacGregor 19. Tilda Henderson 20. Fiona Laing 21. Ruth Hynd 22. Eilidh Kane

Stirling County

15. Emily Norval 14. Scarlett Haddow 13. Hollie Howland 12. Mazzy Walker 11. Olivia Izon 10. Emily Forsyth 9. Jennifer Black 1. Ella Rae 2. Mia Lidbetter 3. Ruby Blackhall 4. Daisy Morrison 5. Millie Gibbons 6. Zoe Pike 7. Ella Gibbons 8. Gemma Thomson CAPTAIN

Replacements: 16. Mollie Khan 17. Maddi Harrop 18. Olivia Porter 19. Mercedez Smith 20. Lizzie Woods 21. Niamh Reid 22. Rennie Guthrie-Dawber

Boys U18 Shield: Hawick Youth v Ayr/Wellington

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Ayr/Wellington dazzled in a 15-try feast in Hive Stadium as they comfortably took the spoils in an entertaining Boys U18 Shield final.

Hawick Youth came blazing out of the blocks, with Luke Scott cutting a super line to dart over for a try with the game less than a minute old. Greg Cartner thumped the post with his conversion attempt amidst swirling wind.

Ayr/Wellington’s response was impressive and rapid, with hooker Jamie McAughtrie the player blasting his way over from close range. In blustery conditions, Cole Graham also missed his conversion to leave the scores tied at 5-5.

Ayr/Wellington then scored an outrageous second through captain Euan Doak, who took a sublime offload from Jamie Mcilroy to canter over, Graham’s extras creating a seven-point differential with fewer than eight minutes on the clock.

Graham then almost ran home from a full 50m out, a terrific run brought down at the last, but the team from the west would benefit from a next phase try through Jake Paton, converted by Graham.

Ayr/Wellington were rampant and when full-back Daniel McKinlay negotiated a raft of tackles, only a clever tap tackle by Luke Scott prevented what surely would have been try of the day.

They did score a beauty of a fourth moments later, Mcilroy again on hand to finish from close range after showing a clever support line. His centre partner, Sandy Hay, then took advantage of a loose ball to add another

Ayr/Wellington kept the scoreboard ticking as McAughtrie dotted down from close range for his second try of the game, with Graham adding the extras.

Hawick were able to grab a try before the break, courtesy of Riley Muir.

HALF TIME: Hawick Youth 10 – 36 Ayr/Wellington

In relative terms, the second period employed a quiet start, but Ayr/Wellington burst into life once more when winger Jardine Vevers hared down the right touchline to stretch his side’s lead, extended by two through the boot of Graham.

Hawick Youth, as in the first half, replied within a minute when second row Harley Bryson displayed the turn of foot of an outside back to gallop home, unconverted.

Ayr/Wellington added an eighth when finished off a rolling line-out maul, with Graham’s fabulous conversion adding the gloss.

The Borderers once more rallied through flanker Mikey Swailes, but Ayr/Wellington added to their tally when McAughtrie burrowed over for his brace, Graham landing a sixth conversion.

Hawick Youth scored a fifth but McAughtrie notched his hat-trick in the final minute for Ayr/Wellington’s tenth try, Play of the Match Graham converting for the seventh time.

FULL TIME: Hawick Youth 27 – 64 Ayr/Wellington

Player of the Match: Cole Graham (Ayr/Wellington)

Referee: Malcolm Pratt
AR1: Lee Fish
AR2: Kevin McGhee

Hawick Youth

15. Greg Cartner 14. Jardine Vevers 13. Filip Kubiki 12. Luke Scott 11. Boyd Hughes 10. Riley Muir 9. Aaron Common 1. Aiden Cannon 2. Jack Brown CAPTAIN 3. Connor Crawley 4. Ellis Dirom 5. Harley Bryson 6. Kaelum Wilson 7. Mikey Swailes 8. Will Donaldson

Replacements: 16. Jordan Wood 17. Diarmuid McGuiness 18. Ryan Muir 19. Fraser Casson 20. Zac Stewart 21. Stuart Delaney 22. Elliot Henderson

Ayr/Wellington

15. Daniel McKinlay 14. Daniel O’Brien 13. Jamie Mcilory 12. Sandy Hay 11. Scott Cox 10. Aaron McLaughin 9. Cole Graham 1. Scott Rodden 2. Jamie McAughtrie 3. Jake Shearer 4. Thomas Lambert 5. Thomas Campbell 6. Euan Doak CAPTAIN 7. Joe Mann 8. Jake Paton

Replacements: 16. Shay Gamble 17. Freddie Bradley 18. Deagan Wright 19. Fergus Kellett 20. Calum Alexander 21. Lewis Duncan 22. Xander Shaw

Boys U18 Cup: Boroughmuir v Stirling County

Capital side, Boroughmuir retained their Boys U18 Cup at Scottish Gas Murrayfield, overcoming opposition from Stirling County.

Boroughmuir got off to the perfect start, claiming their first try of the night in the opening five minutes. A cracking break through County’s defence saw captain, Ossian Hollins-Kirk, deceive Stirling County with a dummy pass before shipping the ball around the back to find full-back, Hugo Stewart, who went soaring across the whitewash for five. Stand-off Kyle McMillan successfully converted, adding two more points to the board [7-0].

In the 13^th minute, Boroughmuir winger Sam Webb carried himself across the line after impressive work from Fergus Jones, to carry play from the 15 metre-line up to the five. Jones worked quickly to get the offload away to Hollins-Kirk, who passed back inside to Webb to crash over the line. McMillan added the extras. [14-0]

After sustained pressure inside County’s 22, Boroughmuir’s Webb made a tremendous break down the line carrying the capital side to within fiver-metres of the whitewash, where Hollins-Kirk quickly recycled the ball to find hooker, Flynn Mooney, who dotted down for five. [19-0]

A line-out on Boroughmuir’s five-meter line in the 28^th minute set in motion the attacking phase for Stirling County to get points on the board. Bringing the line-out down in a maul, a well-controlled drive at the back from Daniel Casserley saw the back-row crash over the line. Scrum-half, Tom Nodes, added the extras. [19-7]

HALF TIME: Boroughmuir 19 – 7 Stirling County

Boroughmuir came out of changing rooms for the second half fired up, scoring within the opening 90 seconds through centre, Alex Grohmann, who darted and dodged his way through the defence, gliding across the whitewash in the right-hand corner [24-7]

Stirling County were keen to show their grit and determination, fighting their way back onto the scoreboard. A penalty for County allowed Nodes to kick for touch and take play into Boroughmuir’s territory. Operating well at the line-out, the forward pack carried play through a strong driving maul with Logan Gray leading the charge. After collapsing the maul on the fiver-meter line, Nodes quickly found winger Arran Pollock on the wing who gained ground. The pack began working through phases around the corner, with Layton Bryce squeezing his way through the defence and over the line for County. [24-12]

Stirling’s defensive efforts in the following ten minutes had been exemplary, but a penalty awarded to Boroughmuir gave them a chance to strike with a lineout on Stirling’s 10-metre line – and strike they did. Strong carrying work from the forward pack saw Lewis Calder gift the ball to Stewart, allowing him to crash over from close range for another try [29-12].

Boroughmuir managed to sneak in a final try in the last two minutes of the game thanks to the speed and footwork of Luke Whitacker, who took the Edinburgh outfit to within touching distance of the try line, but it was Hayden Leitch who earned the bragging rights, crashing over from close range. Murray Armstrong converted successfully [36-12].

Whilst Stirling County knew their fate was sealed, they show great character and spirit, fighting till the very end, working their way into Boroughmuir’s 22. Quick work from Eoin O Cinneide to recycle to ball Baillie McGinley set the captain up nicely to chip the ball through Boroughmuir’s defence, where Andrew Lawrence won the footrace to slap the ball down across the line. A difficult conversion attempt saw the full-time whistle blown, and Boroughmuir crowned champions for the Boys U18 Cup [36-17].

FULL-TIME: Boroughmuir 36 – 17 Stirling County

Player of the Match: Fergus Jones (Boroughmuir)

Referee: Ciaran Stark
AR1: John Smith
AR2: Digby Thomas

Boroughmuir

15. Hugo Stewart 14. Luke Whitaker 13. Fergus Jones 12. Alex Grohmann 11. Sam Webb 10. Kyle McMillan 9. Ossian Hollins-Kirk CAPTAIN 1. Ben Malcolm 2. Flynn Mooney 3. Ed McAree 4. William Kurisaru 5. Will Lockhart 6. Ollie Deane 7. Lewis Calder 8. Harry Jackaman

Replacements: 16. Kaj Ritchie 17. Logan Small 18. Daniel Freeborn 19. Jamie Regan 20. Hayden Leitch 21. Murray Armstrong 22. Scott McCann

Stirling County

15. Alasdair Banks 14. Andrew Lawrence 13. Fraser Dempsey 12. Robbie Truesdale 11. Arran Pollock 10. Baillie McGinley CAPTAIN 9. Tom Nodes 1. Mickey Kesson 2. Lewis Robertson-Jack 3. Jack Mitchell 4. Thomas Mackin 5. Callum Stanners 6. Kieran Mooney 7. Daniel Casserly 8. Layton Bryce

Replacements: 16. Archie Cumming 17. Ross McKay 18. Logan Gray 19. Calum Clayton 23. Eoin O Cinneide 21. Logan Govan 22. Rory McDonald