Schools rugby: Cup quarter-finals kick off with Loretto's intriguing trip to Myreside

The Brewin Dolphin Scottish Schools Under-18 Cup begins its knock-out stage today when George Watson's College, semi-finalists last season, face Loretto at Myreside in the first of the quarter-final matches.

Watson's, with home advantage and as top finishers in their pool, will start as favourites but the Myreside team know that Loretto have improved hugely over the past couple of seasons as they strive to make rugby one of their areas of excellence within a school committed to sport. The cup organisers have made this weekend the deadline date for the quarter-finals to be completed and that should be possible despite temperatures being expected to fall later in the week.

The second of the quarter-finals is expected to go ahead on Friday at Colinton where Merchiston play George Heriot's.

Merchiston reached the last eight with a 20-7 win over Robert Gordon's College at Colinton on Saturday.

In difficult conditions Merchiston outscored their Aberdeen opponents by two tries to one, the home side scoring through Nick Wright and Ben Milne, with both touchdowns converted by Scotland under-18 squad stand-off Sam Hidalgo-Clyne, who also kicked two penalty goals.

For Gordon's, replacement tight-head Graham Doig scored his side's try, stand-off Sean Mills adding the conversion.

The result means that Dollar Academy finish second in the group and will take on Stewart's-Melville at Inverleith on Saturday.

In the other remaining pool match North Berwick High School struck a blow for the state sector with a 13-0 home win over Hutchesons' Grammar to book their place in the last eight and an away tie with Edinburgh Academy on Saturday. Centre Gus Elder scored eight of North Berwick's points with a try and a penalty goal, the other touchdown coming from second row Fraser Stevenson.

North Berwick's under-16 side also qualified for the last eight, despite losing their final pool 2 match 10-3 to Stewart's-Melville at Inverleith on Saturday, and will now face Watson's College in the quarter-final.

Meanwhile, in the under-18 plate, former winners Royal High School were desperately unlucky not to progress to the quarter-finals after losing to Glasgow Academy 8-7. Dunbar Grammar School and Hawick High School meet tomorrow, with the winners facing Glasgow High School in the quarter-finals.

As to the rescheduled date for the cup final, an announcement is expected to be made today.

George Watson's: W Kelly; D Johnson, R Young, J Broadley, M Hunter; A McMillan, J Gray; M Johnston, A Ross, R Jack, D Marinello (captain), A Middleton, I MacLennan, Ben Griffin, R Davis. Subs: M Horsman, N Hurn, J Hassall, R Hamilton, M Scott, E McKean, D Clink.

Loretto: R Young; J Sharpe, R Hook, J Tourish, C Tresidder; D Owenson, H Marriott; T Hutchison, L Galloway, A Welsh, J Perriam, H Fisher, T Reisch, C Warnock, A Sinclair. Subs: S White, W Dakin, G Wilson, J Chang, J Luckett, J Lagger.