Biggar stay on top of the pile
Biggar stayed top of Tennent’s National 1 with a thumping 36-14 Tennent’s National League 1 win over big-hitting Super6 side Heriot’s.
The Edinburgh side had been posting large scores in all of their previous matches, but Biggar restricted them to just two tries and managed five of their own, to claim another bonus point win.
Biggar have a three-point lead over secondplaced Melrose and five ahead of Highland in third.
The visitors were dealt an early blow when prop Richard Bassett picked up an elbow injury in the first scrum, and while he tried to continue, he was eventually replaced by Paul Davidson, who played a major role in nullifying the Heriot’s pack.
Biggar opened the scoring when, after a penalty was awarded following a lineout drive, Andrew Jardine kicked for 3-0.
Jardine also slotted the conversion for a try scored by Ross Jackson, the big man latching onto a pass from scrum-half Luhann Kutze and raced in from 10 metres out.
The score stretched to 17-0 in 24 minutes when Kutze was put in under the posts by centre Rory Hutton.
A weak pass was the catalyst for the score, Hutton’s feed to Jamie Orr not finding its target, but the centre was on hand to recover possession.
His pick and turn found a large gap through which he sped to create the three-on-one, with Kutze on his right and Ewan Stewart on his left. Barely half an hour had elapsed before Biggar were in sight of an unexpected bonus-point try.
That kicked Heriot’s into action, though, and they bagged a try of their own through centre Louis Meyner, converted by Graham Wilson.
Biggar’s third try of the afternoon came from a piece of individual brilliance by Kutze.
Having had to scoop up a rare and untidy lineout ball, he turned to face the Heriot’s pack, wove his way through them, and chipped ahead and over their winger.
Kutze won the race for possession and managed to stay infield before cutting inside to cross, with Jardine converting for a 24-7 lead.
Biggar’s Craig Borthwick was shown a yellow card for a repeated infringement, but this coincided with Davidson replacing injured Bassett, and the visitors held firm.
However, with a series of plays adding time to the half, Heriot’s took advantage of a weak kick chase from defence to score their second score, with Finlay Hutchison speeding over, and Wilson converting.
With the score at 24-14 to Biggar and Borthwick returned to the play, the visitors were again reduced to 14 when Kutze was penalised for illegally diving on the ball.
Again, however, they held out with no further scoring, though Orr had to make a crucial intervention to deny a sure try, and a timely interception by winger Ross Bradford undoubtedly saved the day.
There was then an interesting stand-off between the sides.
Heriot’s elected not to challenge or engage on Biggar’s lineout and had Biggar moved they would have conceded a penalty; but by not doing so, the game was in stalemate.
With nothing happening, a Biggar lineout was given, two Heriot’s players contested possession, but this immediately saw them offside and a penalty given.
Conor Lavery kicked to the corner and another line drive ended with hooker Stewart crossing the line for Biggar’s bonus point-winning try, with Jardine just off-target with the conversion.
Biggar then scored a spectacular fifth try when Rowan Stewart fed outside with one hand to the supporting Kutze, followed by Lavery popping the ball through his legs for flying prop Donald Voas to crash over.