Heriot’s 28 Boroughmuir 25: Heriot’s work for Shield

The match got off to a slow start, perhaps something to do with the 11.45am kick-off, but after that both sides ran in four tries apiece to keep the crowd entertained.

Iain Wilson is congratulated by his Heriots team-mates after scoring a second-half try at Murrayfield. Picture: Ian Rutherford

The eventual victors led 6-3 when the match burst into life with the first try.

Russell Nimmo made good inroads before John Semple set up Liam Steele for the score in the corner.

Semple could not add the conversion, but that try sparked their opponents into some sharper play, too, and just before the half hour mark they scored a try of their own.

Boroughmuir’s exciting winger Jordan Edmunds grabbed it and that left Heriot’s 11-8 up at the break.

As the second half got underway both side’s scored classic forwards tries – hookers Michael Liness and Sean Crombie respectively burrowing over – to leave things at 16-15.

Edmunds’ second try of the day then put ‘Muir ahead before two further tries from Heriot’s gave them an eight-point cushion with five minutes to go.

The two tries came from replacements Charlie Simpson and Iain Wilson, the first by the winger particularly impressive.

Crombie’s second for Boroughmuir in the 75th minute left them 28-25 down and set up a thrilling finale, but Heriot’s held on.

For Heriot’s, prop Murrray McCallum had a great debut while Edmunds showed his quality for the losers.

Scorers: Boroughmuir: Tries: Edmunds 2, Crombie 2. Pen: Laidlaw. Con: Laidlaw. Heriot’s: Tries: Steele, Liness, Simpson, I Wilson. Pens: Semple 2. Con: Edwards.

Boroughmuir: C Marshall; R Bradford, A Cox, G Cannie, J Edmunds; C Laidlaw, J Adams; R Wilson, C Davies, C Bachurzewski, S Gibson, F Field, I Moody, C Reid, A Rose. Subs used: S Crombie, D Robertson, C Keddie, R Smith.

Heriot’s: J Semple; M Learmonth, L Steele, J Laird, H Boisseau; S Edwards, T Wilson; M McCallum, M Liness, S Cessford, R Nimmo, R Van Heerden, J Turley, S Dewar, C Mulligan. Subs unused: S Mustard, C Smith, I Wilson, G Wilson, C Ferguson, C Simpson.