Academic ability to shine

The rain stayed off and Edinburgh Accies made full use of the near perfect conditions to run Heriot’s ragged at Goldenacre, the visitors scoring five tries to three.

The newly-promoted side were out-gunned in the forwards and occasionally struggled in the set piece, especially the scrum where they coughed up one or two straight-arm penalties under pressure but the usual rule of rugby, might-is-right, doesn’t seem to apply to this side.

They made light of their weight disadvantage, ran hard lines, took the game to Heriot’s at every opportunity and their handling, especially out of contact, was streets ahead of anything the home side could manage.

Sam Atkins was playing his final game for the club before the winger joins Worcester’s academy in England and, on the evidence of yesterday’s two tries, he’d do well wherever he washes up. Jamie Sole doesn’t run so much as glide across the ground at full-back and the breakaway trio of Dan Teague, Tom Drennan and Robin Snape made up in grit and spit what they lacked in pounds and inches.

In fairness the home side could have shut up shop, kicked to the corners and used the power of their pack to dictate play but that isn’t part of the DNA at Goldenacre. For most of this match they took on Accies at their own, quick-paced, expansive game and came a poor second.

Only in the final quarter did they attempt to bully their way over the Accies line with a long series of five yard scrums that saw No.8 Jason Hill held up twice before the referee marched under the posts to signal a penalty try at the umpteenth attempt.

The simple conversion brought Heriot’s to within three points of the visitors with 15 minutes still to play but just when the home side threatened to get a grip on this match Accies lock Greg Campbell snapped up a loose pass in midfield and never looked like being beaten to the try line from 30 yards out. The final try from Colin Goudie arrived too late for Heriot’s to claim anything other than a bonus point.

Every Accies score was a gem but Matt Coupar’s first touchdown was a cut above the rest. Fly-half Ruairidh Bonner’s inside pass opened things up for Gavin Douglas, the centre passed outside to Sole who found Coupar on the inside after a juggle and all this time the defence was barely able to land a blow.

If his first was down to a some sublime handling, Coupar’ second try came courtesy of some woeful defence as the winger popped up in midfield before slicing his way past three defenders before diving over the line. Apart from that penalty try the two other Heriot’s touchdowns came from centre Callum Mark, who walked through the Accies midfield, and Goudie, who chipped ahead and won the race to the ball.

Scorers: Heriot’s: Tries: Mark, Goudie, Pen Try. Cons: Wilson 2. Pens: Wilson 3. Edinburgh Accies: Tries: Atkin 2, Coupar 2, Campbell. Cons: Bonner 4.

Heriot’s: Goudie; Kohn, Nimmo, Mark, Scott; Goldie, Wilson; Dymock, Bryce, Cameron, Osazuwa, Martin, Reid, Nayacavou, Hill. Subs: Mustard, Ward, Cessford, Brown, Vono.

Edinburgh Accies: Sole; Coupar, Douglas, Berthinussen, Atkin; Bonnar, Black; MacLeod, Liness, Murray, Campbell, Graham, Teague, Snape, Drennan. Subs: McSorley, Driscoll, Taggart, Pecqueur, Evans.

Referee: A Jackson (RFU).