Ayr get set for crunch v Heriot’s
Capital gains not without scare
side as they have mustered this season, wouldn’t let a 31- 11 halftime lead disappear but would build on it and ensure that the all important points differential, which is the only thing keeping them in second spot in the BT Premiership behind Melrose, was improved.
Well, no, because it seemed Currie had other ideas and looked set out improve on last week’s Houdini act with an even more outrageous comeback until Ayr finally put the lid on the game.
Ayr started as they meant to continue, Frazier Climo putting a penalty deep into the Currie red zone and from the line- out, Will Bordill burrowed his way through for the opening try.
Climo converted then it was Currie’s turn to put the pressure on with the sparky Harvey Elms breaking from full- back to give Currie field position resulting eventually in my writing a phrase which I seem to have written more often of anyone except an Ayr player – Ross Weston went over for the try.
James Bywater missed the conversion then exchanged penalties with Climo before Ayr again muscled their way into Currie territory and were unstoppable in the drive until again Bordill applied the coup de grace.
Climo converted, Bywater slotted a penalty then came as nifty a try as you could wish for.
Again a line- out close to the Currie line but instead of a deep throw, a crafty one to an even craftier Scott Sutherland at the front who whipped over for Climo to convert and when the No10 did it again with the conversion of a cracker from Grant Anderson after a superb build up, at 31- 11, it was a case of enjoy the half- time pie and relax.
Whatever Ben Cairns rattled into his troops at the break it worked, even after Climo had made the margin 23 points with an early penalty, and centre Robbie Nelson starting the comeback with a sparkling try when he eluded the defence to score.
Elms again set up the field position for another attack and this time it was wing Ben Robbins who all too easily scampered through for Byfiled to add the conversion and suddenly the margin was nine and the relaxing half- time pie was causing just a twinge of indigestion.
Climo was the man who steadied the ship, took a sweet offload on the Currie 22 and settled the game with a try which as ever he made look so simple yet encompassed enormous skill.
He converted as Bywater did with a late Robbins try which rightfully earned Currie a bonus but by this time the points were in the Ayr bag.