West of Scotland 3 - 26 Edinburgh Accies

Published on Saturday 5 December 2009 20:51

AFTER three defeats on the bounce, Accies took a compelling win built upon almost complete domination of the breakdown. The reintroduction of lock Ed Stuart after an ankle injury, and the return of prop Sinclair Patience after his sabbatical on the Highland games circuit, had a huge impact on the home pack. They played with an aggression their bulkier opponents couldn't cope with.

Although the debate over Alex Blair's best position will rumble on for a while, there is no doubt the 19-year-old has something Scottish rugby must be careful to nurture. His pace and balance give him a devastating ability to penetrate gaps, and that was evident when he ghosted through West's defence for the opening try in the 14th minute.

A run from Chris Dickie created the field position for Accies' second touch-down on the half-hour mark. The winger was eventually felled in midfield, but quick ball was shipped to Iain Berthinussen, who rolled out of a couple of tackles to dot down in the corner. Berthinussen got his second and the team's third try after the break, and with half an hour still to play the bonus point for Accies looked inevitable – but West dug deep to keep them out.