Boroughmuir Bears dig deep to get season off to a flier
BOROUGHMUIR BEARS began their Super6 campaign with a morale-boosting win at Bridgehaugh yesterday as they got the better of Stirling Wolves 27-10.
The Edinburgh team were only three points ahead in a first half in which both sides showed signs of early-season rustiness, but they shut their opponents out in the second half with a solid defensive display.
“The players dug in deep,” Bears coach Graham Shiel said. “At half-time I was thinking it maybe wasn’t enough of a lead, but they applied themselves in the second half, were very clinical when they got into the areas to score points, and they defended very well.
“I would have taken that at the beginning of the day. The good thing is we can improve.
“An away win at the start of this competition is something we would take any day of the week.”
Scott Robeson, Craig Keddie and Scott McGinley all touched down for the Bears, whose other points came from the boot of Jack Bergin.
Gregor Christie and Lewis Skinner scored tries for an injurydepleted Wolves side, whose head coach Ben Cairns was critical of his team’s lack of selfbelief in the second half.
“At half-time at 13-10 down, we are massively in the game,” he said.
“To not get any reaction or shift in momentum in the second half is the most disappointing thing.
“We were a little bit accepting of it.”
At the Greenyards, Sprint Series victors Watsonians kept up their winning ways with a 36-12 victory over the Southern Knights.
The home team claimed the first try of the afternoon and only trailed 10-5 at the break, but four tries in the second 40 saw Watsonians take the full five points.
Champions Ayrshire Bulls got the defence of their title off to a winning start on Friday night, when they beat Heriot’s 33-17 at Millbrae.