Famous five try to stay unbeaten

Musselburgh, Preston Lodge, GHK, Grangemouth and Dunbar’s top teams are top of their respective leagues and still in various Bowl and Shield regional events with the first half of the season all but complete.

Of all the clubs, Dunbar are the only team to have even drawn a match – against Dalkeith – and, cumulatively, they have won more than 60 matches throughout the campaign.

Musselburgh have won 13 out of 13 in RBS National 1 and are through to the last eight of the RBS Edinburgh Regional Shield.

In the league they have scored 464 points, with their best win being 61-5 at Langholm earlier this month. That day at Milntown Liam Draycott and Robert Lovett each scored three tries. However, they have had some tight tussles, including a 16-15 win over RHC Cougars at the weekend. They were 15-5 down in that one, before they showed why they are champions elect. Firstly Ryan Black scored a try and then stand-off Danny Owenson kicked two penalties to edge them ahead.

Musselburgh coach Brian Hughes said: “We are pleased with the way things are going and are just wanting the guys to concentrate on one match at a time.”

East Lothian neighbours Preston Lodge top RBS East 1 and are in the quarter-finals of the RBS Edinburgh Regional Shield. They have worked hard as a club to fight back from two successive relegations in 2007/08 and 2008/09.

Last year they won 18 of 22 matches to finish second behind Marr in National 3 and in the restructured regional league this term they have been untouchable. In their 11 league matches to date in 2011/12 they have scored 533 points, including a 64-0 win over Ross High.

President Shona Brash said: “I have been delighted with the way the team have been doing this year and everyone pulled together after those two relegations. The success is helping the club draw bigger crowds and more players and long may it continue.”

Over in the West GHK’s young bucks, coached by the experienced Kenny Hamilton, have been causing quite a stir in RBS West 1. The team, with an average age of around 21, have won 12 league matches out of 12 and have seen off Newton Stewart and Irvine to reach the last four of the RBS West Regional Shield.

Grangemouth are a club who have rescued themselves from some tough times thanks to a lot of hard work. They now have new facilities at Glensburgh and have won ten from ten in RBS Caledonia 2 Midlands and are through to the semis of the RBS Caledonia Regional Bowl.

In RBS East 2 Dunbar have had quite a tussle at the top with Dalkeith this season, but it is the former who remain unbeaten with nine wins and a draw. They also beat Dalkeith in the RBS Edinburgh Regional Bowl to reach the final, while in the last eight they crushed RDVC 98-5.

Five clubs to certainly keep an eye out for in the coming weeks.