Heriot’s left to point finger at antics of Ayr captain
Edinburgh side bounce back from nine-point deficit to lift Premiership
AS Ross Curle closed in on the line for his second and his team’s fourth try of the afternoon, which would put the hosts 26-17 ahead with 18 minutes to go, he half-turned mid-stride to look back and wag his finger triumphantly in the direction of Hugh Fraser — the hapless Heriot’s scrum-half whom he had just intercepted.
It was a graceless gesture to which Fraser took objection. There was a bit of niggle between the pair after the ball had been dotted down. More significantly, it suggested that the Ayr captain was now feeling pretty confident that victory was in the bag. He should have known better.
Heriot’s won the Premiership grand final last year by scoring a try deep in injury-time after going through more than 20 phases of play to work the ball all the way upfield from their line. They won their play-off semi-final against Currie this year in similar circumstances, although it was a drop goal from Gregor McNeish which clinched it. They have an impressive track record of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in the games which really matter, and they were not going to let this one slip past without putting up a fight.
It should be clarified that Curle was excellent on Saturday and his feistiness is a big part of what makes him such an effective player for Ayr. But it might have been better to keep his powder dry until after the final whistle.
Heriot’s duly bounced back through a try from Charlie Simpson after a powerful surge up the left by Liam Steele and, as the game moved into the final 10 minutes, you could sense an edginess beginning to infiltrate the home squad. Having finished the regular season nine points clear at the top of the Premiership log, they were now in distinct danger of losing the title to the team that ended up third.
A misthrow at a line-out near the halfway line by James Malcolm gifted Heriot’s possession again and they coolly worked the ball up to Ayr’s fivemetre line. A penalty was given against the hosts for handling in the ruck, Heriot’s kicked to the corner, and were awarded the penalty try when Pete McCallum came in from the side in a desperate attempt to stop his team being driven back over their own line for the third time in the match. It was not as dramatic as some of their other recent comebacks but it was pretty impressive and the significance of the result will mean that it holds a special place in the club’s folklore for years to come.
Phil Smith, the Heriot’s coach, said after the 29-26 win: “This is massive. To win the league and cup double after winning the league last year is a huge achievement by the guys. It has not been as easy this year for various reasons. As champions we were out there to be shot at and we had to do it without a few key players who had either moved on or were injured, so new guys had to step into some pretty big shoes — but we have made it.”
By the end of the match, Ayr players were engaged in a war of words with referee Graeme Wells, and their fans were incandescent with rage when two ruck penalties in the last five minutes went against them. Neither decision was particularly contentious, and home head coach Calum Forester was the voice of reason when asked for his take. He said: “It is hugely disappointing. We did not get any breaks today. We played a lot of good rugby but discipline let us down in key areas of the pitch — stupid penalties which allowed Heriot’s to kick to the corner and play to their strengths.”
G Anderson (H McPherson 21); J Bulumakau, R Curle, D McCluskey, C Gossman; F Climo, D Armstrong; G Hunter, J Malcolm, J Sebastian (D Rae 70), R McApline, S Sutherland, B Macpherson (A Dunlop 70), W Bordill, P McCallum.
J Semple; C Simpson, L Steele, C Ferguson, J Rae (G Bryce 30); G McNeish, T Wilson (H Fraser 54); M Bouab (M McCallum 25), M Liness (N Cochrane 25), S Cessford, R Nimmo, J Turley, S Dewar, A Henderson (R van Heerden 70), J Hill.
try — Anderson, Curle 2, B Macpherson; con — Climo 3.
try — Dewar, Simpson 2, Cochrane, penalty try; con — Semple 2.
G Wells