County feel strain
HERIOT’S .............................................. 54 STIRLING COUNTY ............................ 12
As if playing in torrential rain and strong winds wasn’t hard enough, Stirling County had to suffer even further as Heriot’s edged closer to the top of the Tennent’s Premiership table with an eight-try demolition of the Bridgehaugh men.
With leaders Melrose losing to Ayr and being replaced at the top by the Millbrae men, Heriot’s are still hanging on in third – hoping for more slip-ups.
They will be hoping their opponents in the New Year put up as much resistance as Stirling. County’s inability to keep hold of the ball saw a number of knock-ons or turnovers and the County set-piece was another weak link on a day where conditions and lack of visibility played a large role in how the game was played.
Line-out overthrows and the prowess of Heriot’s second-rows Adam Sinclair and Charlie Jupp made life difficult for County throughout.
The hosts began strongly with second-row Adam Sinclair crashing over for the score and centre Ross Jones converting.
Scrum-half Andrew Simmers got the second try of the match after County had been reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes through a yellow-card for back-rower George Arnott, as punishment for a forearm challenge on opposite number Iain Wilson. Heriot’s wasted little time in making use of their numerical advantage with their scrum-half darting over from close range following several waves of pressure from the home forwards.
Eddie Pollock’s men recovered to score a brilliantly worked try of their own through Adam Nicol. Led by fly-half Andrew Goudie, County slowly but surely worked their way up-field. Sublime handling between backs and forwards and impressive ball retention brought them to within five yards of the line. Goudie then fed Nicol who cantered in under the posts.
Heriot’s replied immediately courtesy of Robert Kay after County knocked on at the restart, and Jones converted again. But then Logan Trotter did likewise for County following the next restart, with Heriot’s caught off guard on the far side, leaving the winger free to streak in for the score.
Struan Cressford wriggled over late in the first half to secure the bonus point.
The second half was even more onesided affair with four more tries for the Goldenacre side and Stirling not even registering a point.
Martin Bouab touched down just three minutes after the restart, following a superb break by Simmers which nearly sent Alex Ball over.
Having been denied earlier, Ball eventually got his try after forcing