Watson’s in testing trip to take on Merchiston
Schools rugby
Tuesday 22 OcTOber 2013 Top of the bill in a fixture list week still suffering from the half term effect will be the clash between Merchiston Castle School and George Watson’s College at Colinton on Saturday.
Merchiston go into the match having experienced a testing weekend at the 2013 St Joseph’s Rugby Festival in Ipswich. They lost 13-10 to Bedford school in their opening match on Saturday before suffering a 38-7 defeat to a very strong Brighton College side and losing to Newcastle’s Royal Grammar School 22-12.
on the second day Merchiston lost out to portsmouth Grammar 15-10 and then to Whitchurch High School by 15-5. However, in their final match Merchiston achieved a 22-0 win over Abingdon School.
“Apart from the Brighton College match, all the games were winnable,” said Rob Moffat, director of rugby at Merchiston, who believes that this is the kind of competition which will stretch Scottish schools competitively. Moffat also believes that the likes of Merchiston must widen their fixture lists within Scotland.
“We have to play more state schools at whatever level is appropriate. It’s about getting the best games for school players. I think it might be a good idea to scrap the current fixture lists and start again. We already play Stirling County and Boroughmuir and we had a game against Galashiels Academy. our under-16s played an East Lothian schools select side. As it turned out they were too strong for us but that’s the way we should go.”
Watson’s have lost only once to Scottish opposition this season when, like Merchiston, they suffered a narrow defeat to Stewart’s-Melville College. Saturday should give them the match toughness they need ahead of their Brewin Dolphin Cup game against Glasgow High School a week tomorrow at Anniesland. Watson’s have also confirmed that their under-16 side will play their cup quarter-final against Heriot’s at Myreside on the same day.
Meanwhile, Edinburgh Academy achieved a very creditable 22-22 draw with Blundells School at Tiverton, where the former Academy director of sport Ed Saunders is now based. In what Academy’s coach Mark Appleson, described as “a thrilling match”, his side ran in four tries, all of them scored by centre Luke Taylor, and one converted by stand-off Blair Kinghorn.
The performance should lift confidence ahead of their home Brewin Dolphin Cup quarter-final match against Dundee High School a week tomorrow.
In the west this weekend will be about city rivalry with Glasgow High School facing St Aloysius College and Glasgow Academy taking on Hutchesons’ Grammar School.