Rugby: Muir make a winning start

Boroughmuir were given a stern test in their opening match of the Premier Cup before eventually shrugging off Dalziel in a 10-0 win.

The Division Three outfit had long spells in the ascendancy but failed to find a way through a 'Muir side who did just enough to make a winning start in a tough group that also features Stirling County and Peebles.

Back rower Jamie Doubleday touched down shortly before half time and Harry Leonard added the conversion to an earlier penalty to see 'Muir home.

'Muir lock Ally Davidson admitted it was one of the poorer performances the Meggetland men have produced this season.

"It was probably not the best day at the office," he said but pointed to the importance of preventing an opposition score - something that will please coach Fergus Pringle who had bemoaned the error count against Glasgow Hawks the previous weekend.

Pringle will look for a repeat of that defensive clean sheet but will hope that 'Muir can rediscover their cutting edge when they have league business with Hawks on Friday night. Heriot's were also on the road but their afternoon was considerably more comfortable, with a 29-8 win at Cartha Queens Park. Struan Dewar, Max Learmonth, Graham Wilson and Pete Eccles had a try apiece, while Wilson contributed the rest of the points with three conversions and a penalty.

Watsonians, who will launch their bid for top-flight survival this weekend, were given a boost when they disposed of Kirkcaldy 46-19 at Myreside

Elsewhere, Stewart's Melville bounced back from their mauling against Edinburgh Accies with a gutsy 18-13 win at home to Hillhead-Jordanhill.

Stew-Mel handed a debut to stand-off Seb Trotter, formerly of Watsonians, and fielded another new face in the pack where Donald Sangster had his first outing since joining from Peebles.

Trotter made a big contribution towards the success over opponents who had won comfortably at Inverleith on league duty two weeks earlier. Trailing 8-3 at half time, tries by Blair Tweedie and George Turner plus a conversion by Trotter who had earlier landed a penalty, delivered the home win.

Haddington, meanwhile, lost 32-10 away to Biggar.