Boroughmuir 22 - 15 Heriot’s: Winger shines in ’Muir RBS cup win

BOROUGHMUIR lifted the RBS Edinburgh Regional Cup yesterday, defeating Heriot’s in the final and in the process winning their fourth match in a row at home. Hard working winger Redha Guedroudj led the way with two tries in an entertaining encounter and the Meggetland men now travel to Ayr in the semi-finals of the national event on 31 March.

Heriot’s started the match strongly, with good breaks from back-row Alex Spence and centre Max Learmonth testing the home defence, but a quick turnover saw ’Muir take the lead in the fourth minute. The ball went loose in midfield and was shipped wide quickly and winger Sep Visser eventually gave the scoring pass to Guedroudj. Stand-off Ally Warnock converted.

Nine minutes later a high up-and-under was not dealt with by Heriot’s captain Graham Wilson and from the resultant scrum on the edge of the 22 ’Muir nearly added their second try. Guedroudj, who was making a real menace of himself, had come off his wing to good effect, but just could not get the scoring pass to full-back Keith Buchan.

In the 26th minute the home side’s lead increased to 10-0 thanks to a Warnock penalty.

Before the interval three tries were scored in an end-to-end ten minutes. Firstly second-row Ruairidh Wilson scored for Heriot’s with an opportunist try, then ’Muir No.8 Iain Moody went over before Graham Wilson’s effort for the visitors left things nicely poised at 17-10 at the break.

The second half began with just as much pace and intensity as the first had finished with, but the accuracy was not quite there with both sides misplacing passes and making basic errors.

In the 51st minute a high tackle gave Warnock a chance to extend Boroughmuir’s lead with a penalty, but the kick drifted just wide and it was still all to play for.

The hosts were in charge at this stage and after knocking on the door for a while it opened in the 68th minute when the ever-impressive Guedroudj claimed his second after good work by the forwards.

Heriot’s threw caution to the wind in the closing stages, No.8 Jason Hill scoring a try with six minutes to go to give them some hope, but the hosts just held on in a frantic last few minutes.

Scorers: Boroughmuir: Tries: Guedroudj 2, Moody. Con: Warnock 2. Pen: Warnock. Heriot’s: Tries: R Wilson, G Wilson, Hill.

Boroughmuir: K Buchan; S Visser, M Clapperton, S Wilson, R Guedroudj; A Warnock, A Watt; N Fraser, C Mackintosh, J Latta, G Scott, W Kay, N Rodger, I Moody, A Henderson. Subs used: R Wilson, G Jones, A Rose, H Fenton, M Hare.

Heriot’s: G Lawson; C Goudie, M Learmonth, R Carmichael, M Nimmo; C Ferguson, G Wilson; G Cameron, S Mustard, S Cessford, R Wilson, R Martin, M Reid, J Hill, A Spence. Subs used: K Bryce, J Stafford, R Cessford, C Mulligan, J Bulamakau.

Referee: J van der Merwe.