Currie hold off Heriot’s in Edinburgh Derby as busy club rugby weekend unfolds

The Edinburgh derby was the headline fixture of the weekend, with Currie hosting Heriot’s at Malleny Park as Scottish Rugby’s Match of the Week. Currie made the stronger start, with Fraser Sayers breaking through three defenders to open the scoring before tries from Alex Harley and Gregor Scougall gave the hosts a 19-0 lead at half-time. Heriot’s struggled to find their rhythm in the opening half, with a number of penalties allowing Currie to maintain control. 

Heriot’s came out with renewed intent after the break and quickly put Currie under pressure. Joe Roylance registered the visitors on the scoreboard for the first time before Patrick Spence capitalised on a quick tap penalty to bring Heriot’s back into contention. However, Currie responded through Mason Cullen, who crossed for the bonus-point try to restore their breathing room. 

Ross Brown’s late try reduced the deficit to 26-19 and set up a tense finish, but Currie held firm under pressure to secure the victory. The result capped off an impressive Match of the Week performance for the hosts. 

Down at Mansfield Park, the first Borders Derby of the season took place between Hawick and Kelso. Kelso travelled to Hawick in search of their first-ever league game win at Mansfield, but fell just short in a thrilling one-point battle, with the hosts claiming a 29-28 victory in the last play of the game with a penalty kick from Zane Glanville. 

At Myreside, both Watsonians and GHA came into their Round Two matchup looking to bounce back from defeats in the opening round. With little separating the two sides throughout, it was a last-minute penalty from Bruce Weatherhead that sealed the victory for Watsonians. 

Melrose recorded a convincing 40-point victory over Glasgow Hawks at The Greenyards, with a strong Melrose bench proving decisive as the hosts pulled away in the second half. 

Ayr secured another bonus point win performance over Edinburgh Accies, enjoying 5 tries in the first half at Raeburn Place and reasserted their domination in the second half to win 82-7. 

The weekend marked the start of the Arnold Clark Women’s Premiership. 

Stirling County began their title defence in dominant fashion, recording a 95-0 victory over hosts Cartha Queen’s Park. 

At Myreside, Watsonians welcomed Garioch. It was a tough day for the visitors, as Watsonians crossed the whitewash 16 times to secure a commanding 100-10 victory. 

In a huge defensive effort, Hillhead Jordanhill upset the hosts at Union Park, claiming a 32-17 bonus-point victory over Corstorphine Cougars. 

It was Biggar’s day at Goldenacre as they overcame hosts Heriot’s in a closely contested encounter. Biggar ultimately secured a bonus-point victory to get their campaign off to a winning start. 

Over in the Boys’ U18 Open Competition, the action got underway under the Friday night lights, with hosts Edinburgh Academy securing a 12-5 victory over Dollar Academy. 

Strathallan School also picked up a win on the road, beating hosts Stirling County 22-12, while Merchiston Castle School opened their competition campaign with a 27-17 victory over rivals George Watson’s College. 

The competition continued on Saturday, with GHA falling to Boroughmuir 34-14. Glenalmond College emerged victorious against hosts Marr Rugby, claiming a 33-26 win, while Ayr narrowly missed out against Stirling County, going down 33-26.