Rugby: Heriot's are no longer content to wing it

FORMER professional Marc Teague has hailed the more rounded style of rugby that has taken holders Heriot's into the semi-final of the Scottish Hydro Cup – compared to when he began a six-month injury lay-off last September.

It was a businesslike and pragmatic Heriot's who booked their place in the last four with a slightly flattering 34-14 win at Stirling County.

Following the victory, Teague, who had surgery on a shoulder but signalled his full recovery with a try brace, explained: "Before entering this season's British and Irish Cup, we were inclined to move the ball wide all the time and it took us a while to realise that's what opponents were expecting of us.

"Facing teams like Munster A and Bristol meant adapting our moves to play a lot tighter and that showed in the way we set a platform up front against a Stirling side who were looking for us running the ball through our backs more often than we did."

Windy conditions also played a part in Heriot's carrying the ball close to rucks and mauls and, significantly, the try which gave them a decisive lead just after half time came from in-form No.8 Jamie Syme at a pushover scrum as a stranglehold was exerted.

Repeatedly, too, Syme was used on pick-ups at the scrum base and his linkage with Graham Wilson was crucial to overcoming a 9-14 interval deficit turning with the elements.

Here, Wilson played a blinder by using an educated right boot either to keep kicking goals – he landed three penalties out of three into the wind – or else pin Stirling back.

The Heriot's skipper also knew the importance of varying his tactics and main beneficiary Teague paid tribute, saying: "With Stirling anticipating another kick from him, Graham instead caught them off guard by breaking up the narrow side of a ruck and I managed to run the right angle to get the try."

It had taken Heriot's 66 minutes to get a ten-point lead which was all the more welcome for realising just how dangerous Stirling could be on the break-out, Robbie McGowan notching one of their two tries at the end of a move which covered the entire field early on.

Stirling's other try came even earlier from miscommunication at a Heriot's line-out with the throw going astray for Robbie Boswell to gather and travel a few metres to the line.

"That was our wake up call after a difficult journey through," said Teague.

"Ten minutes out of Edinburgh, our bus broke down and while a replacement was organised we had to change into our kit en route."

Teague, whose second try was an opportunistic effort in injury-time when he charged down a kick as Stirling attempted to play catch-up, added: "It wasn't the ideal preparation but we put the matter behind us helped by Graham Wilson's three penalties into the wind."

Heriot's coach Bob McKillop was satisfied their Second Division rivals, who had ousted two other First Division teams earlier in the tournament, had been overcome, saying: "It was particularly good to see Marc Teague and Graham Wilson combining just as they did before the former went off for a season with Edinburgh.

"Their understanding was worth a lot of points back then and promises to be equally as effective nowadays behind a pack in which Alan Dymock played well at prop.

"Graham Wilson's game management was really outstanding and he also had the bloody mindedness to keep persisting with tactics that were paying dividends.

"Overall, Stirling used the ball behind the scrum better than we did. But there's a lot of experience in our side right now and that showed against opponents we couldn't quite shake off."

Besides 19-point Wilson who missed just one kick in the gale throughout, others prominent for Heriot's were Greig Rutherford, a tidy performer at stand-off, prop Wullie Blacklock and flanker Jason Hill.

At times they lived dangerously, though, and it was poor ball retention a few metres from the Stirling line that sparked the home side's spectacular break-out score.

That came when Stirling flanker Jonny Clarke was in the sin bin and, on other occasions, lack of ruthlessness could be crucial.

As for Teague, he is determined to end a season of pain in some style.

"After I dislocated my shoulder in the third match against Watsonians I had open, as opposed to keyhole, surgery, as medics wanted to be sure I could stand up to contact," he said.

"Together with our physio, Sandi Lyall, the support I received from them was tremendous and now I have got two tries to add to the one I got on my first start back against Dundee a week earlier, it's a great feeling to be back. There is life after professional rugby and I'm more relaxed on the rugby field than I've ever been.

"Having won and lost cup finals with Heriot's, the aim now is to ensure we come out on top this time and it certainly won't be for lack of spirit, which is some of the best I have known at Goldenacre."

Scorers:

Stirling: Tries: Boswell, McGowan; Conversions: Archibald (2).Heriot's: Tries: Teague (2), Syme; Conversions: Wilson (2); Penalties: Wilson (5).

Stirling: R McGowan, G Lindsay, D Gilmour, B Archibald, B Addison, J Hope, G McRorie, M Hunter, A Moffat, captain, C Black, D Mountford, C Deacons, J Clarke, B Bersanti, R Boswell. Subs: A Simpson, J Donaldson, C Faill, D Lyle.

Heriot's: C Goudie, M Teague, P Saunders, R Mill, M Nimmo, G Rutherford, G Wilson, captain, A Dymock, F Gillies, W Blacklock, P O'Connor, C Osazuwa, P Eccles, J Syme, J Hill. Subs: M Reid, S Johnston, M Welch, K Bryce.