The Edinburgh Reporter’s Weekly Sports Roundup
This week we congratulate Edinburgh Rugby for a fine win over Munster, and also the Hibernian Development team who won the South East Division Two.
Rugby by John Preece
First up this week is the Gold Coast 7s held in Brisbane. On Day 1, Scotland drew 21-21 with hosts Australia despite being 21-0 at half time. However, defeats to Samoa (19-12) and Argentina (21-19) meant that the Scots would go on to face USA in the Bowl quarter-finals where they won 19-10. This put them through to the Bowl semi-final, but they were defeated by Canada 19-14. Although not making a final, this was a step up for the Scots who only qualified for the lowest-tiered Shield last year, which they did go on to win, however.
Only one Edinburgh based team, Edinburgh Accies, qualified for the British and Irish Cup this season, but they share Pool 2 with pseudo-Scots team, London Scottish.
Accies were playing at home against Welsh qualifiers, Pontypridd, but suffered a 53-13 defeat to the visitors. London Scottish, on the other hand, defeated their ‘exile’ counterparts, London Welsh, away from home 32-26. This leaves Scottish second in the Pool 2 table on points scored difference, with Accies in fourth, trailing London Welsh by dint of their bonus point.
The next round is on 7th December when Accies play London Welsh and London Scottish play Pontypridd, both away from home.
In the RBS Premiership, it was another defeat for Currie, going down 21-12 in Hawick, while Heriots beat Glasgow Hawks 18-13 in Glasgow. This leaves Heriots still in second place in the Premiership table with 30 points and Currie even further adrift at the bottom still with only 6. Accies stay on 18 points, but slip a place due to their participation in the B+I Cup. They do, however, have a game in hand.
The RBS National League was undisturbed by other competitions, so all three Edinburgh teams had matches. And all three came away with wins. Boroughmuir continued their march to the title with another bonus point win, this time Biggar being put to the sword 50-3. Watsonians took a 19-8 victory through in Glasgow against GHA and Stewarts- Melville won their second match in a row, with a bonus point win away at Kelso, 32-12.
These results see their table with ‘Muir still at the top with 39 points, Watsonians retaining second, but slipping a point further behind, with 31. Stew-Mel’s win, however, has them climb yet another place to fourth in the table with 24 points.
(Library photos by JLP)
Web – http://www.photoboxgallery.com/jlp-photography
Edinburgh Rugby
Scrum Half Greig Laidlaw kicked 19 points as Edinburgh beat Munster in a Heineken Cup opener at Murrayfield in front of 7,024 fans.
Scott scored an early try which Laidlaw converted before he added a penalty to take the score to 10-0 for the hosts. Ian Keatley reduced the deficit with a penalty before Laidlaw’s kick was charged down by Donnacha Ryan and Laulala scored they try which was converted to level the scores.
Laidlaw then converted a penalty before Munster took the lead with a try from Sherry which Keatley converted.
Two Laidlaw penalties saw Edinburgh regain the lead before half time, however two Keatley penalties restored Munster’s advantage before Visser evaded two tackles to score a terrific try.
Laidlaw scored another penalty requiring Munster to chase a converted try, but Edinburgh held on for the victory.
Edinburgh: J Cuthbert, D Fife, N De Luca, M Scott, T Visser; H Leonard, G Laidlaw (capt) A Dickinson, R Ford, W Nel , G Gilchrist, S Cox, D Basilaia, C Du Preez, D Denton.
Replacements: A Lutui, W Blaauw G Cross O Atkins R Grant, S Kennedy J Dominguez S Hidalgo-Clyne.
Munster: F Jones; K Earls, C Laulala, J Downey, S Zebo; I Keatley, C Murray; D Kilcoyne, M Sherry, S Archer; D Ryan, P O’Connell (capt); P Butler, N Ronan, J Coughlan.
Replacements: D Varley, J Cronin, BJ Botha, Donncha O’Callaghan, CJ Stander, D Williams, JJ Hanrahan, D Hurley.
See Main Site for match report.
Football
No SPFL involving the capital’s teams this weekend due to international fixtures. Gordon Strachan’s Scotland team take on Croatia at Hampden on Tuesday night.
Lowland League
Spartans returned to the top of the Lowland League with a 1-0 win over Gala Fairydean Rovers on Saturday in front of a healthy crowd at Ainslie Park.
In the 11th minute, Gala had a penalty claim waved away after Sutherland went down in the box then a few minutes later, Willie Bremner’s cross-cum-shot was parried by Dodds only for Keith McLeod to slot the rebound into the net. Gala grabbed an equaliser just before the break through Marc Berry.
Spartans dominated the second half, and as it looked as though both teams would share the points, the North Edinburgh side grabbed a controversial winner with four minutes remaining.
Alan Brown went down to a Gala defender’s challenges and the referee pointed to the spot to the fury of the Border teams players. John Grant took the spot kick and hammered it straight down the middle to the delight of the home fans, including a certain John ‘Yogi’ Hughes.
After the game Spartans Manager Dougie Samuel told the club website, “Naturally, I am delighted to get a win today and thought, over the piece, we deserved it. We were good for 40 first half minutes, hitting the woodwork twice in the process before losing a sloppy goal. The 2nd half was definitely more even with perhaps Gala playing the better football however we dug deep in the end and got the win we set out to achieve.”
Malt of the Hops Man of the Match: Ally MacKinnon
Team: Bennett, Grant, Cennerazzo, Blaikie, MacKinnon, Bremner, Brown, Whatley, Henretty, McLeod, Beesley. Subs: Ross, Beacher, Trialist, Atkinson, Gilpin
Elsewhere in the Scottish Cup 2nd Round Replay Fraserburgh beat Edinburgh City 2-0.
East of Scotland League
Qualifying League Section A
Civil Service Strollers 1-3 Eyemouth United
Kelso United 2-5 Tynecastle
Qualifying League Section B
Duns 2-1 Stirling University
Hawick Royal Albert 2-4 Edinburgh University
Qualifying League Section C
Hibernian 1-1 Craigroyston
Leith Athletic 4-4 Heriot Watt University
Qualifying League Section D
Easthouses Lily 3-4 Coldstream FT
Peebles Rovers 0-1 Spartans
Women’s Football
Hibs Ladies lost narrowly to Rangers at Albyn Park on Sunday. Rachael Walkingshaw put Hibs one-nil up from the penalty spot before Rangers equalised to level the scores at half time. Rachael added a second after the break, but the Glasgow side fought back and grabbed the points with two late goals.
There was better news for the Hibs Development side who won the South East Division Two after beating Hearts 3-2.
Elsewhere, there was a great result for Spartans Women who came from 2-0 down at half time to win 3-2 thanks to goals from Sarah Ewens (2) and Trisha McLaughlin,
Speedway
Despite the Edinburgh Scotwaste Monarchs 51-42 win over Glasgow Tigers on Friday night, the victory wasn’t enough to win the Scottish Cup which went to Glasgow by 100-86 on aggregate.
The Armadale win was secured thanks to Derek Sneddon (paid maximum from 4 reserve rides) and Theo Pijper’s three heat wins, plus solid displays from Tabaka, Fricke and Vissing.
Ice Hockey
The Capitals travelled to Cardiff on Saturday night but suffered an 8-5 defeat to the Devils despite leading three times during the game.
Brad Plumton put the Devils in front at 3.03, however, this was cancelled out as Martin Cingel on the powerplay restored equality at 4.39.
The Caps took the lead at 22.40 with a powerplay goal from Michal Dobron, then increased their lead to 3-1 with a second powerplay goal from Cingel at 31.05. Jake Morrissette2 pulled one back 24 seconds later, before the Capitals extended their lead with a strike from Neil Hay at 35.53 only for Ben Davies to net for the Devils with 33 seconds of the period remaining.
A second goal from Morrissette 33 seconds into the third period made the score 4-4 then Les Reaney gave the Caps the lead at 48.34. Less than a minute later Devils were level once again as Max Birbraer netted and then a Mark Richardson powerplay goal a minute later had the home team in front for the first time.
They extended their lead at 58.44 as Morrissette completed his hat trick, then Matthew Myers completed the scoring with an empty netter at 59.45.
On Sunday the Capitals took on Braehead Clan at Murrayfield Ice Rink, and despite taking an early lead through Les Reaney, they lost 3-2.
Athletics
Libby Clegg took time out of her bust 6 day a week training schedule ahead of the Commonwealth Games to the Royal Blind School where she was a former pupil as part of National Braille Week, then visited Cramond Primary School where she showed off her silver medal from the London Paralympics.
Formula One
West Lothian’s Paul di Resta finished in eleventh place in Japan, as winner Sebastian Vettel all but secured his fourth consecutive Driver’s Championship.
See main site for race report.