Currie Chieftains 41 - 7 Boroughmuir: Hosts keep play-off hopes alive

The Chieftains consolidated their claim to a play-off place with the summary dismissal of relegation-haunted Boroughmuir as the BT Premiership got under way in 2018.

Robbie Nelson of Currie on the run against Boroughmuir. Picture: Neil Hanna

Third-placed Currie belatedly followed up a good away win at Ayr in mid-December by taking maximum points from a Boroughmuir team who hadn’t played for more than a month and have so far won only two games all season.

Muir were tenacious and good in bursts but were ultimately over-powered by a fast-improving but sometimes careless Currie outfit that could have, and probably should have won by more.

The Chieftains opened the scoring within two minutes when they nicked the ball from at the first lineout and blindside flanker Mike Vernel crashed over under the posts. Stand-off Jamie Forbes, pictured, converted.

Another few minutes and Max McFarland cut through the heart of the Boroughmuir defence on a 50-metre run, off-loading inside the 22 to winger Cammy Gray to take it on. Muir somehow got back to tackle and prevent the try. They then survived two set scrums before clearing their lines.

Currie were relentless though and stayed on the attack. Forbes kicked an easy penalty.

Muir made good territory in a couple of flowing attacks that confined the home side to their own goal line for several minutes until a five-metre lineout was taken by No.8 Craig Keddie to set up a maul that fed stand-off Chris Laidlaw whose kick to the corner dropped into the arms of right winger Grant McConnell for the try. Laidlaw converted.

Into the second quarter the game swung in Chieftains’ favour and full-back Ben Robbins carved a path from the halfway line to within ten metres but his attempted pass went astray and Muir survived despite fumbling the ball behind their own line.

But the reprieve was brief and after two reset scrums the referee awarded the penalty try to make it 17-7 at the break.

Five minutes into the second half Currie had their third try after penning Muir inside their 22, centre Richie Vernon getting the touchdown. The conversion was wide.

Currie attackers were slicing through the visiting defensive line and were only kept out by desperate, last-ditch tackling. However, nothing could stop captain Robbie Nelson crossing for the bonus point try when the ball was fed wide from yet another five-metre scrum. Forbes chipped over the conversion.

The Currie pack continued to dominate the forward exchanges but it was a simple interception by Forbes that got the fifth try, converted by himself. Lock Luke Crosbie added a sixth on the final whistle.