Plate finalists Earlston not happy with scheduling

Two tries by centre Connor Spence and one by back-row forward Michael Rogerson helped Earlston High School secure their place in the final of the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Schools under-18 Plate competition as they defeated Madras College 23-7 in the penultimate round match at Myreside yesterday.

As a result Earslton will face Carrick Academy in the title decider tomorrow at Murrayfield. But there is anger in the Borders that there will be just two days between the semi-final and the final after Murrayfield refused a request from both Earlston and Madras to put back the final to a later date. If two days between semi and final were not bad enough, the situation is exacerbated by the fact that most of the Earlston High School boys also play for Melrose Wasps, who had a first-round National Youth Cup game on Saturday and will play in the Bowl quarter-finals this weekend. That represents four games in seven days for many of the Earlston High School team.

At under-16 level, it will be an all-Borders Plate final with Jedburgh Grammar School facing Peebles High School. Jed made an emphatic statement in their semi-final match against last season’s beaten finalists, The Gordon Schools Huntly, with a 57-0 win over the Aberdeenshire side.

Peebles, too, were comfortable winners in their 22-0 defeat of Linlithgow Academy.

Meanwhile, in the Brewin Dolphin under-18 Bowl, Dunbar Grammar School are already through to the semi-final after defeating St Joseph’s College of Dumfries 32-3 and will be joined in the last four by the winners of today’s semi-final between Boroughmuir/J Gillespies and Bearsden/Douglas Academies.

The under-16 Bowl is at the same stage. Already through to the semi-finals are Trinity Academy who had a 28-19 win over Westhill Academy, and Biggar High School who defeated Larbert High School 28-5. The other two semi-finalists will emerge from today’s match in Wester Ross between Plockton High School and Madras College, and the game on Saturday between Shawlands Academy/Kings Park Secondary and Hawick High School.

Gathering pace, too, is the National Youth Cup, the quarter-finals of which will be played this coming weekend following last Saturday’s first round matches. Defending champions Stirling County, who defeated Melrose Wasps, are away to Hamilton while Borders contenders Selkirk Youth Club play Biggar Colts and Gala Wanderers travel to Inverness to take on Highland. The other quarter-final is between last season’s beaten finalists, Dumfries, and the Edinburgh champions, Boroughmuir.