Discipline key for cup ‘veteran’ Chris Dean

The 17-year-old has experienced winning and losing in cup finals, the sweet taste coming in an under-15 win over today’s opponents George Watson’s College three years ago, followed by victory in the main event over Stewart’s Melville and defeat last year to the same opponents.

Dean, who played in the centre last year, but is back in his more familiar No 8 jersey this time, dismisses the notion that his and his teammates’ experience could be the decisive factor tonight, and insists instead that it will come down to the side that stays within the laws of the game.

“That’s probably what I’ve taken from the last two finals – how important discipline has been,” he explained. “We lost two years ago because we gave away a lot of penalties and the Stew/Mel goal-kicker, Alex Haggart, was really on form and took advantage. Then last season we won with a late kick from Fraser Gillies, so if I was to take anything from the experience it would be the importance of keeping calm heads.”

The Academy may be the favourites, having won all 13 of their matches this season, but Watson’s captain Ramsay Young is one of eight players who featured in the U15s final with the Academy and, after beating Stewart’s Melville in this year’s semi-final, he believes that the memory of that can help bring extra motivation to the team.

“I can remember clearly losing that final at Murrayfield. It was absolutely horrible, and I’m sure it was the same for all the guys that were there, so being able to draw on those experiences can be helpful now,” he said. “Most of us also experienced losing in the last two semi-finals and that is tough, but we are ready for this and games don’t always go the way people expect.

“I didn’t get to the Edinburgh game with Racing Metro [Heineken Cup] last week, but when I got home I watched the highlights on ‘RugbyDump’, and that shows you the kind of stuff that can happen in a game. It showed that it is not always what is expected to happen that does.

“This is a cup final and you cannot always know what’s going to happen when it’s a one-off game.”

Young’s battle with Alex Glashan will be one of several mouthwatering contests tonight, and Dean, who has come through to the Scotland U18s with Young and Glashan, agreed as he looks forward to his last cup final appearance.

He added: “It’s a fantastic feeling to be going to Murrayfield for a cup final again, and I feel privileged to have been part of one of four very good teams that have reached this far, but I expect another very tough match.

“For all of us, the sense of being able to play at Murrayfield in front of an unusually high crowd for a schools match is just fantastic. It’s a dream of mine to come back here and play professional rugby, but who knows if that will ever happen? So you’ve got to make the most of this opportunity.”

The schools cup competition has been altered this season and so is coming to a conclusion much earlier, but it still represents the peak of many schoolboys’ career.

With a ‘Maroon March’ from Colinton down to Murrayfield and an expected sea of Academy supporters, there are few rugby matches as popular as this one is tipped to be for another generation of young Scottish rugby talent.

George Watson’s College: Fraser McKay; Dominic Johnston, Chris McBeth, Andrew McMillan, Jack Broadley; Euan McKean, Ramsay Young (capt); Michael Gillespie; Ross Gregor, Rhys Jack (vice-capt), Matt Poole, Neil Irvine Hess, Matt Horsman, Nick Hurn, Will Brown.

Subs: James Hassall, Hamish Campbell, Andrew Watts, Henry Lawrence, James Bedford, Chris Cash, Peter Clink..

Edinburgh Academy: Robbie Orr; Tom Salisbury, Alex Swan, Tom Grey, Freddie Smith; Zander Muir, Alex Glashan (vice-capt); Josh Haining, Angus Lutton, Andrew McWilliam, Chris Thomson, Ronan Seydak, Cameron Simpson, Rory Simpson, Chris Dean (capt).

Subs: Mack Millar, Tom Mitchell, Ruaridh Smith, Jamie Spratt, Jonty Bredin, Scott McWilliam (cousin), Calum Peace.