Watsonians back on top after late bonus-point win
Watsonians are back on top of the Super6 table, two points clear of the Ayrshire Bulls - but they had to fight to the last minute against Boroughmuir Bears yesterday before eventually claiming the try bonus in a 27-10 win at Meggetland.
After going in at the break 10-7 down to their Edinburgh rivals, the visitors steadily took control of the match. Even so, it was only in the last minute that substitute prop Bobby Bratton grabbed the vital fourth try that gave them five points for the victory.
“I thought we were our own worst enemies in the first half,” Watsonians coach Fergus Pringle admitted. “We gave a couple of soft penalties away and it allowed the Bears into our 22 on a number of occasions.
“In the second half we started to play in the right areas of the pitch and got the Bears on the back foot. The boys then showed good composure to get an important bonus-point try.”
Boroughmuir coach Graham Shiel admitted that the leaders’ squad was always going to be too powerful for his side, but felt the result was not a true reflection of the match.
“As a coaching team we’re delighted with the way the boys played, because going into it there was only going to be one winner - that’s the reality,” he said.
“I’m pretty frustrated not to get at least something out of the game, if I’m honest, because I felt we deserved more and I didn’t think Watsonians deserved a bonus point.”
The Bulls, who like Watsonians are guaranteed a home semi-final, were top at the start of play yesterday thanks to their 26-0 home win over Stirling Wolves on Friday night. Boroughmuir are also through to the play-offs, and so are Heriot’s, who lost 27-20 at home to the Southern Knights in yesterday’s late match.
In the Premiership, league leaders Currie Chieftains also had to fight back from a half-time deficit before running out 38-12 winners over Glasgow Hawks. So, too, did Jed-forest, who ran riot in the second half to beat Heriot’s Blues 51-20 after being two points behind at the break.
Champions Marr, who inflicted a first defeat of the season on Currie last weekend, went down to a 20-3 defeat at Hawick. Second-placed Edinburgh Accies kept up the chase on the Chieftains with a 56-17 win at Musselburgh, and Selkirk won 28-14 at home to GHA.