Edinburgh Academy 3 - 3 Stewart's-Melville College: Visitors into final thanks to rulebook

THERE can be few crueller ways to suffer defeat than by a technical rule that declares the visiting team winners in the event of a draw.

That was the card dealt to Edinburgh Academy on Saturday at Newfield at the end of 60 minutes of rugby that produced a draw in the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Schools under-15 Cup semi-final against their city rivals Stewart's Melville College.

For the visitors, who just about deserved the win by dint of their second-half performance, this victory made it a double celebration for the College, who join their seniors in the final spectacular at Murrayfield on 11 February.

"Having two teams in the finals at Murrayfield is a huge bonus for rugby at our school," said Stewart's Melville director of rugby, Chris Spence. "The spirit the under-15s showed was amazing".

The heaviness of the pitch at Newfield all but rendered running rugby impossible. That did not stop both sides attempting to move the ball but, inevitably, it came down to penalties. Stand-off Gair Currie landed a first-half effort for the Academy before his opposite number, Scott Docherty, provided the points for Stewart's-Melville.

Scorers: Edinburgh Academy: Penalty: Currie

Stew-Mel College: Penalty: Docherty

Edinburgh Academy: S Bendt; D Sharma, F Greig, G Currie, R Rowbottom; A Swann, F Graham; J Spratt, M Millar, C Plevris, T Mullen, J Wilson, W Graham, R Simpson, A McWilliam. Subs: W Munro, F Masure, C Peace, C Steedman, T Grey C Turner, M Scott.

Stewart's-Melville College: R Frost; J Price, R Grant, S Murchie, D Salmanzedah; S Docherty, M Statham; W Kesley, L Begbie, F Crawley, H Hutcheson, A Clayton, S Brown, M Lowes, H Turner. Subs: B Gorrie, G Wilson, A Scott, C McCall, S Wilkes, D Brown.

Referee: K Richardson (Linlithgow)