Currie 12 - 12 Boroughmuir: Battling ’Muir may yet escape the drop
Scorers: Currie: Tries: Fife 2. Con: Forbes. Boroughmuir: Tries: Scott 2. Con: Warnock.
Although neither side will be delighted with a share of the spoils, it was probably the right result given the effort they both put in during dreadful conditions at Malleny Park.
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Hide AdCredit too must be given to Ivor Santer and his band of hardy volunteers at Currie who managed to get the pitch playable for the 3pm kick-off despite lots of overnight rain.
For the first 30 minutes the game was quite open after the rain had stopped for a short spell, but as it returned it made the ball very slippery for the final minutes of the first half and the entire second half. As a result it became more of a battle of attrition than a free flowing rugby match, and both sets of forwards will have been nursing a few bumps and bruises for the rest of the weekend.
This will certainly have been the case for the ‘Muir pack who, after Currie had levelled things up at 12-12 in the 61st minute, had to defend for their lives in the last quarter, with the likes of Mike Brown, skipper Andrew Rose and Jamie Swanson tackling like demons at times.
They, along with Neil Rodger, showed the hard work that will be needed if ‘Muir are to stay in the top flight.
At the full-time whistle Currie head coach Ally Donaldson cut a forlong figure and would have been worrying about serious-looking injuries that were sustained by key men Fergus Scott and Jamie Forbes.
Certainly, he will want them back in the new year as Currie look to secure a British & Irish Cup place, but they may need to be a bit more clinical in attack to make that ambition a reality.
Early on in this one ‘Muir led 5-0 thanks to a try by second-row Greig Scott, before Currie went 7-5 up after a converted try by winger Dougie Fife.
The visitors took advantage of some sloppy protection of the ball in the 32nd minute, a quick turnover seeing Scott grab his second try of the day as they went in 12-7 up at the interval.
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Hide AdTen minutes of the second half came and went with Scott in the sin-bin before Fife’s second try made it 12-12 and that was the way it finished.
Currie: J Forbes; A Whittingham, J Johnstone, S James, D Fife; G Hunter, R Snedden; J Cox, F Scott, A Hamilton, G Temple, S Marcel, M Cairns, R Weston, M Peacock. Subs used: B Emslie, J Gray, C Leck, C Van der Westerlo, M Erskine.
Boroughmuir: H Leonard; D Hoyland, K Buchan, S Wilson, S Visser; A Warnock, S Johnson; R Hislop, M Brown, J Latta, G Scott, I Moody, A Rose, J Swanson, N Rodger. Subs used: N Fraser, A MacLeod, C Cusiter.
Referee: D Changleng.