Rugby: Loss to Ayr leaves Accies in middle of RBS Premiership

By COLIN RENTON
Published on 18/02/2013 12:00

Edinburgh ACCIES 
returned empty handed from their trip to face RBS Premiership pacesetters Ayr, adding to the mid-table congestion that ensures a tense run in to the league campaign.

Despite a gutsy performance, Accies could muster only two Ruaridh Bonner penalties and a try by Sam Pecqueur in a 22-11 defeat that sees the Raeburn Place men slip to seventh spot.

The next assignment for Accies is a home fixture with Aberdeen Grammar who inflicted a 38-22 defeat on Heriot’s at Rubislaw. Rory Carmichael bagged a try and CJ Osazuwa grabbed a double, with Graham Wilson kicking the other points for the Goldenacre men.

Any lingering hopes Watsonians may have had of securing the one automatic promotion spot from the RBS National League were extinguished when they succumbed 35-10 to lowly Biggar. ’Sonians were still in the contest at the interval, 13-3 in arrears, with the points coming from a penalty by Brian Walls. However, Marcus Di Rollo’s side could only add a converted try from Jonny Duthie as they sustained a fifth successive league defeat.

The latest loss means the Myreside men are now unable to match the points tally of leaders Hawick, and they face a struggle to oust Glasgow Hawks for second spot and a play off place. Hawks ended the recent winning run of Stewart’s Melville with a 26-15 success over the Capital outfit.

Another side that has stumbled after a strong start to the campaign is Musselburgh who went down 22-20 to Lasswade at Hawthornden in RBS Championship B. ‘Burgh paid the price for a loss of discipline, having two players yellow carded and conceding a penalty try on the way to a defeat that leaves them in third place.

Haddington secured a vital 42-20 victory away to basement side Morgan Academy. The result moves the Neilson Park men outside of the bottom two and, for now at least, away from the relegation play offs.

Meanwhile, Murrayfield Wanderers were on the wrong end of a 46-22 result at league leaders Howe of Fife.