Biggar stay on top
Biggar Rugby Club stayed on top of Tennent’s National League 1, with a 43-14 win at Ayr on Saturday.
The 7-2 try win saw them breach the 500-point mark, while reaching 60 league points.
Heriot’s, in second place, maintained their challenge with a 26-0 win over Stirling.
With Ayr’s Super 6 game being played at Millbrae earlier, that caused some problems ahead of the match.
The fixture was eventually switched to the Queen Margaret Academy astroturf facility, and kick-off was delayed because the Biggar team bus was hemmed in by parked cars.
In the end, Biggar took a good five points from the game, despite never really reaching their potential.
With a stiff breeze in their faces, Biggar were always likely to be defending for the opening period, but they stood up to everything Ayr could throw at them.
Biggar again dominated in the tight scrum, with every one seeing them on the front foot. At lineout time, Jamie Orr took a lot of quality ball, while the Ayr effort was inconsistent and somewhat laboured.
Having weathered the Ayr attack, Biggar took the lead after 10 minutes.
A penalty kicked by Conor Lavery to the Ayr half saw the pack win good ball, before setting off on a line drive straight into the Ayr 22.
A couple of dunts by Lavery and Mark Bertram released centre Andy Jardine, who cruised over for a 5-0 lead.
Biggar would have added to that score just minutes later, but for an uncharacteristic fumble by Lewis Stewart.
However, Bertram was sent through to the line and dotted down to double Biggar’s lead.
That lead was quickly reduced following an error by veteran Davy Reive, when a pass into ‘space’ led to Ethan Aitken racing through to score, converting his own try, and reducing the deficit to 10-7.
Biggar hit back and with Donald Voas set free and taking play deep into the Ayr half, possession was then swept right, with Jardine making a breenge before finding full-back Robbie Orr, who rounded off the move with a try, again unconverted.
The visitors added another try before the interval, with Voas again appearing on the wing to advance play, before ball was swept right, with Lavery providing the scoring pass to captain Chris Mulligan, who crashed over for the bonus point-winning try. Jardine this time converted for a 22-7 half-time lead.
Biggar were again in defence at the start of the second half, but they were able to clear their lines, and scored their fifth try.
A kick downfield saw Biggar get a lineout some 15 metres out, and although it looked like possession had been lose, Ewan Stewart regained it and bulldozed his way over the line, with Jardine converting.
The concession of a series of penalties then saw Lewis Stewart yellow carded and forced into a 10-minute break.
It was hardly surprising that Ayr capitalised on this, and scored their second try through Seth Rae, with Aitken again converting.
However, any chance of an Ayr comeback was quickly dispelled. When they were reduced to 14, a penalty try was awarded and a 3614 lead followed.
Ewan Sanderson was the last to dot down. Picking up at the base of the scrum, he feinted to pass to Reive before straightening up and gliding through a massive gap, with Jardine adding the conversion.