Heriot's 39 - 14 Watsonians: Heriot's ease into season

A SUNSHINE start to the new season, but this was a stuttering performance from both teams as they sized each other up before Heriot's came out emphatically on top.

Neither side will want to dwell on last season's lacklustre showings in the league when Watsonians flirted with relegation and Heriot's' promising title challenge petered out early in a plague of injuries. All minds in the city derby were tuned to the present though, aware of the importance of gathering as many points as possible to be in the top eight when divisions split after the first round of matches.

Three tries for full-back Colin Goudie and two for inside-centre Peter Saunders saw Heriot's get off to the flying start they needed, even if the game was more of an arm-wrestle than a display of running rugby as it was constantly interrupted by niggling injuries and finicky refereeing.

The first try, a sign of things to come, was conjured up after seven minutes in a manner that suggested the Heriot's players had been consulting the text books over the summer. A five-metre line-out was won, the ball went wide, was recycled and came back for Goudie to join the line and go over for the points. Skipper Graham Wilson added the conversion.

Watsonians tried to do the same after deciding to kick for the corner rather than go for the posts from a penalty on the 22. The Heriot's defence held firm and when the next penalty was awarded, Mike Ker, just on the pitch to replace injured stand-off Andrew Skeen, put it wide.

At the other end, Wilson banged over a simple 20-metre penalty to emphasise Heriot's' all-round superiority. The home pack had the edge in tight and loose but they kept incurring the displeasure of the referee and Ker was able to open his team's account with a 30-metre penalty. Heriot's stretched further ahead when Goudie made something out of nothing, collecting the ball on the 22 and running round a static back line to score his second try.

The visitors were playing tenaciously without really threatening the Heriot's line and Ker's second penalty from 25 metres was the only way they were able to put points on the board.

The referee's patience finally snapped when prop Wullie Blacklock stepped round a ruck and found himself in the sin bin as Ker added another penalty to narrow the gap. But Saunders scored within minutes of the restart and then after another couple of minutes added the bonus-point try with Heriot's still down to 14 men. Wilson converted both. Watsonians hit back with a try from flanker Sam Paulo out on the left.

The game was won and lost before the final quarter and as it opened up, the injuries came thick and fast, disrupting the flow.But Heriot's were usually in control as demonstrated when their forwards chose to rumble a maul from halfway to 22-metre line until Watsonians infringed. The ball was handed to Wilson to kick his second penalty.

Goudie rubbed salt in maroon and white wounds when he claimed his hat-trick of tries by diving over beside the posts and giving Wilson the easiest of conversions.

Scorers: Heriot's: Tries: Goudie (3), Saunders (2). Cons: Wilson (4). Pens: Wilson (2). Watsonians: Try: Paulo. Pens: Ker 3.

Heriot's: C Goudie; G Walker, M Learmonth, P Saunders, M Nimmo; C Ferguson, G Wilson; A Dymock, M Welsh, S Burnett, W Blacklock, R Martin, M Reid, J Parker, P Eccles, M Lee. Subs: K Bryce, G Cameron, J Hill, G Hunter, G Bryce.

Watsonians: A Nash; J Forbes, M di Rollo, C Sorbie, R Minto; A Skeen, J Blackwood; C Owenson, G Wood, K Coertze, S Ursache, A Fisher, S Paulo, M Fedo, W Rowley. Subs: E Hunter, S Laird, D Finnie, G Somerville, M Ker.

Referee: D Walker.