Watsonians 22 - 12 Ayr: Hosts provide parting gift for departing head coach

Watsonians gave departing head coach Steve Lawrie the perfect leaving present with this win over Ayr.

Watsonians' DJ Innes and Ewan Fox. Pic: SNS/SRU/Graham Stuart

Lawrie will now join up with Edinburgh Rugby in the summer as assistant forwards coach and Watsonians’ second-half showing yesterday will see him head to BT Murrayfield with a smile on his face.

Ayr, who still finish the regular season table top and will face Melrose in the play-offs on 23 March, went ahead in the first half at Myreside. The try came from hooker Robbie Smith and full-back Paddy Dewhirst converted. It was 7-0 at the break.

The home side made it 7-7 after 43 minutes when centre Andrew Chalmers scored and stand-off Ewan Fox converted.

That got their tails up and five minutes later they produced a second try from Scotland Club XV man Fraser Renwick with Fox again adding the extras.

A long-range penalty then put Watsonians further ahead and when they bagged their third try with 15 minutes to go it wa 22-7.

Front-row man Steve Longwell scored Ayr’s second.