Stirling and Currie lead way in age-group game

There are many who accuse Stirling of hoovering up the better players from surrounding youth clubs but, while on the surface there is something reprehensible about the idea of poaching, there is merit in having better players in one team.

Indeed, it has been suggested that in youth rugby there should be the equivalent of a Scottish Premiership to allow better players to develop their skills in a more testing environment similar to that which exists among the top schools. In which context what these clubs are really all about is teaching the game to youngsters denied access to extracurricular rugby since the implosion of competitive sport in so many of Scotland's state schools.

All the same, excellence is to be applauded and it is surely no coincidence that these two clubs produce so many players who go on to higher levels in the senior game.

For Stirling, who defeated Boroughmuir 41-7 in the final at Murrayfield on Sunday, it was atonement for County's defeat in the Under-18 National Youth Cup at the hands of Currie.

Meanwhile, Preston Lodge's protracted bid to reach the semi- finals of the Brewin Dolphin Scottish Schools Under-15 Plate competition is due to continue this Thursday when the East Lothian side travels to Tayside for their game against Dundee High School.

The outstanding tie, which has been delayed by numerous postponements, mid-term holidays and pre-lim examinations, is the only one of the quarter-final games still to be played.

The most recent game to go ahead in the Under-15 Plate quarter-finals was in the Borders, where Hawick High School secured their place in the last four with a 50-0 win over Nicolson Institute, Stornaway.

The Under-15 Bowl is even further behind but, if this week's matches – Wallace High School v Earlston High School and Morrison's Academy v Biggar/ Lanark – go ahead then there will be some cheer for the tournament organisers.

Outwith the Cup, beaten finalists Stewart's-Melville College face Dollar Academy on Saturday with both sides weakened by district representation.

Stewart's-Melville will be missing three Edinburgh Under-18 players and three in the capital's under-17 team. Dollar, too, have players representing Caledonia in Sunday's second round of the District Under-18 Championship.

George Watson's College travel to Glasgow to play Hutchesons' Grammar School at Auldhouse, where the most competitive match could be at third-year level.

"We lost 10-7 to Hutchie in the Brewin Dolphin Under-15 semi, so the boys will eager to gain some revenge," said Ally Donaldson, Watson's director of rugby, adding: "We just want to get some rugby. We've had only one game since Christmas".