Club Rugby

Scotland centre Alex Dunbar is set to play for Tennent’s Premiership leaders Ayr this afternoon as they host third-placed Heriot’s in the game of the day.

Watsonians’ recent winning streak came to a halt at the Greenyards but their performance against the reigning champions suggests that the Myresiders could still be in strong contention for a top-four placing.

Heriot’s, occupying fourth place in the keenly contested Tennent’s Premiership, maintained their position with a unspectacular but workmanlike victory over a hapless Edinburgh Accies who have yet to win a game.

Ayr joined the small band of teams to edge out Stirling on their own ground in a thrilling last-ditch win.

Boroughmuir claimed their third Tennent’s Premiership win on the spin with this home victory over Hawks.

Jed-Forest are the only non-top flight club left in the Scottish Cup and their reward for making it into the quarter-finals is a home tie with Heriot’s.

Biggar High School and Shawlands Academy girls teams lifted silverware at under-18 and under-15 levels respectively in the Scottish Schools Cup finals yesterday.

Hawick put in a polished performance to defeat old rivals Gala 52-14 in the Scottish Cup first round yesterday.

Holders Melrose battled back to defeat Boroughmuir 36-28 in a cracking Scottish Cup first round tie in Edinburgh last night, writes Gary Heatly.

Hawick and Gala meet in an intriguing Border derby in the Scottish Cup first round this lunchtime.

Scottish Cup holders Melrose get their defence of the trophy underway this evening when they take on Boroughmuir at Meggetland in round one.

After a long wait Merchiston will again be in the final of the Scottish Schools under-18 Cup after overcoming George Watson’s College in a desperately close semi-final at Colinton.

If you’re a football man, determinedly of that persuasion and a bit sneering with it, then you might view Tony Stanger’s Hawick as the sporting equivalent of the flat earth society, a place where they believe that when leather and air conjoin the result must always be egg-shaped. Anything else 
is sacrilege, anything else is banned. Visitors will be searched and if spheres of perfect circumference are found these must be deposited in the giant receptacles at the town gates.

Campbell Reynolds will be on the minds of all the Currie Chieftains players ahead of their Tennent’s Premiership clash with Ayr this afternoon.

Watsonians moved into the top four of the Tennent’s Premiership after outmuscling their capital rivals in a hard-fought affair under the lights at Myreside last night. Both sides tried to play their hallmark running rugby, but ultimately it was the quality of the home defence in an extended spell on the back foot in the first half that proved the key to their success.

Watsonians and Heriot’s have both won their last three Tennent’s Premiership matches and the Edinburgh rivals meet this evening at Myreside (7.45pm).

Melrose proved too strong for Hawick but the defending champions were made to work for their win, trailing 7-10 going into the final ten minutes before securing a penalty try and then adding a late score by replacement centre Patrick Anderson.

A second-half masterclass by Heriot’s got the better of Glasgow Hawks and maintained their push for a play-off place.