Rugby (Scotland) by John Preece
Four representative matches were played over the weekend with one draw, and three defeats on the score card. First up, the Scotland ‘A’ side were playing the England Saxons at Scotstoun and the Scots were looking for their third win in a row against the English. It wasn’t to be, but in spite of being behind at half time 10-6 – courtesy of a penalty and a converted penalty try to two penalties – the Scots came back with a try of their own following another English penalty, to take the score to 13-13. Another penalty from England, took the visitors into the lead, but a late on goal from Scotland meant the match finished all-square, 16-16.
It wasn’t such good news for the U20 side, which endured a battering from both the weather and a strong Irish team. 20-0 down at half time, the Scots leaked another 14 points before they landed a solitary try of their own with seconds left on the clock to make it a 34-7 victory to Ireland.
Not so good news for the women either as they were hammered into submission by another strong Irish side. 32-0 down at half time, the Scots never stood a chance. However, good play in the second half from the Scots saw Ireland ‘only’ able to score 27 points, scoring four tries in the first 13 minutes. However the rest of the half was dominated by the never-say-die Scots, but the old failing of not being able to cross the line, meant that they stayed rooted on zero, while Ireland managed to score another, late, try against the run of play to finish the 59-0 winners.
Even worse news for the Senior side was their 28-6 defeat to Ireland’s ‘big boys’. Scotland had the first chance for points but Laidlaw saw his kick hit the post, which wasn’t a problem for Sexton as he put Ireland into an early lead. Laidlaw drew the sides level with a successful kick, but seconds later Ireland were ahead again with another Sexton kick. Scotland dominated both territory and possession in the first half, but it was Ireland who were to score the first try. Both teams had almost scored tries earlier in the game, but close isn’t quite the same as crossing the line. Quick recycle from a penalty line out in the left corner saw the passed ball outrun the Scots’ defence to give Trimble an easy gallop over in the other corner. Sexton missed the kick and Ireland went in 11-3 ahead.
The second half Irish team either put some sort of sedative in Scotland’s tea or fielded another five players for the second half as they went on to totally dominate the match. Laidlaw did score first with another penalty, but two tries allied to Sexton’s boot saw the Irish safely over the line 28-6
Club Rugby by John Preece
In spite of predictions to the contrary, the weather didn’t wipe out this weekend’s programme, so the spectators and players enjoyed a full calendar of fixtures.
In the Premiership, Currie scored their fifth win of the season with a 16-7 defeat of Glasgow Hawks in Glasgow, while Edinburgh Accies lost 30-13 away to Gala. Their near neighbours, Heriots survived a wee scare in Aberdeen as the narrowly defeated Aberdeen Grammar 21-17.
In the League table, Heriots are third with 52 points and Accies are fifth with 30. While, in the relegation zone, Currie now have a clear four point advantage over Aberdeen at the bottom with 25 points. With the first four clubs breaking free – 16 point gap between fourth and fifth – and heading for British and Irish Cup qualification, the rest of the table looks very close – five points cover fifth to ninth – with any of the six teams in danger of relegation if results don’t pan out to their satisfaction.
In the National League, the top of the table clash at Myreside went the way of Boroughmuir, who beat Watsonians 13-6 at Myreside (full match report elsewhere). Stewarts-Melville, on the other hand had to settle for a 10-10 draw away to Dundee.
This leave Boroughmuir a further three points clear – ‘Sonians gained a bonus point – with 64 points to second placed Watsonians 53. But, Stew-Mel’s two points at Dundee means they close the gap to a single point with 52 points for third place.
With only three scheduled league matches left in the season for most teams – a few have some ‘weather affected’ games in hand – the relegation zone in the Premiership is hard to predict, although Aberdeen seem to have lost their way a little. But, at the top of the National League, it is looking like Boroughmuir are rank favourites – as they have been from the start of the season – to go up, while Watsonians and Stewarts-Melville are in a closely fought chase for runner’s up spot. So it looks possible that there could be five Edinburgh teams in the Premiership next season if the games go to plan, but there should be at least four – Heriots, Edinburgh Academy, Boroughmuir and one or two from Currie/Watsonians/Stewarts-Melville.
Football
Friday saw the end of the January Transfer Window with both Edinburgh clubs doing business.
Hearts transfer window
Players in
Paul McCallum – loan until the end of the season from West Ham United
Players Out
Adam King – to Swansea City
Hibs transfer window
Players in (alphabetical order)
Daniel Boateng – loan until the end of the season from Arsenal
Bradley Donaldson – return from loan spell at Arbroath
Paul Grant – return from loan spell at Berwick Rangers
Danny Haynes – loan until the end of the season from Notts County
Duncan Watmore – loan until the end of the season from Sunderland
Players out (alphabetical order)
Ross Caldwell – loan to Alloa Athletic until the end of the season
Tim Clancy – contract cancelled by mutual consent
David Gold – loan to Cowdenbeath until the end of the season
Fraser Mullen – contract cancelled by mutual consent
Rowan Vine – contract cancelled by mutual consent
Hibs had a free weekend, but on Sunday, Hearts took on Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the semi-final of the League Cup at Easter Road.
In a dramatic game, nine-man Inverness exacted revenge on Hearts, winning on penalties to set up a first major final against Aberdeen on 16 March.
Greg Tansey’s sensational strike put Inverness ahead but Jamie Hamill scored twice in two minutes for Hearts after Gary Warren was sent off.
Caley Thistle’s Josh Meekings also saw red but the nine men grabbed an injury-time leveller through Nick Ross.
Despite having a numerical advantage, Hearts were unable to capitalise during the 30 minutes of extra time, then Graham Shinnie won the toss to take the penalty shoot out to the Famous Five end which housed the travelling support.
In the penalty shoot-out, Shinnie and Hearts’ new signing McCallum failed to convert the opening kicks.
But Caley Thistle did not miss again, with Billy McKay, Ross, Tansey and Draper scoring to capitalise on Hamill’s miss and ensure a place in the final.
Scottish Sun Lowland League
Threave Rovers P Spartans
Vale of Leithen P Dalbeattie Star
Edinburgh City 4-1 Gala Fairydean Rovers
University of Stirling 3-2Preston Athletic
Whitehill Welfare 4-1 East Kilbride
Central Taxis First Division
Berwick Rangers Reserves P-P Easthouses Lily MW
Hawick Royal Albert P-P Eyemouth United
Image Printers East of Scotland Qualifying Cup, Third Round
Tynecastle 1-3 Leith Athletic
King Cup, First Round
Heriot-Watt University 2-1 Craigroyston
Qualifying League, Section A
Kelso United P-P Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale
Qualifying League, Section B
Duns 2-4 Edinburgh University
Ormiston 0-2 Stirling University
Qualifying League, Section C
Hibernian EOS 4-0 Burntisland Shipyard
Qualifying League, Section D
Peebles Rovers 0-4 Coldstream
Basketball
Congratulations to the City of Edinburgh Kool Kats Senior Women who beat Glasgow’s Lady Rocks Senior Women by 72 -62 to successfully defend the Scottish Women’s Basketball Cup at the Lagoon Centre, Paisley
The score at the end of the first quarter was Lady Rocks (11)-(15) City of Edinburgh Kool Kats than at half time Lady Rocks (36)-(38) Kool Kats.
With ten minutes to go the score stood at Lady Rocks (49)-(59) City of Edinburgh Kool Kats and the ten point gap remained at the final whistle.
MVP – Hannah Peacock (City of Edinburgh Kool Kats)
Ice-Hockey
Edinburgh Capitals lost another match on Wednesday night, this time to Sheffield Steelers in Sheffield. In spite of the yawning gap between the teams in the EIHL table – Sheffield second on 45 points, with three games in hand, and Edinburgh tenth on 22 – the Steelers were held to a goalless first period by a well marshalled Edinburgh defence. They did score in the second, however, with a goal from Nate Dicasmirro when the Steelers were a man down, and they followed it up with another in the third from Tim Spencer. This latest defeat has probably sunk any chance that Edinburgh had of reaching the play-offs, not helped by the loss of Tomas Horna to a top European club, as they are 15 points shy of Cardiff – who have two games in hand – in eighth.
Saturday night saw the Capitals take another big hit with an 8-2 defeat to Coventry Blaze for their seventh defeat in a row. Coventry were six goals to the good – including two ‘short-handed – before Edinburgh were on the scoreboard. Zembergs’ two in the second period were the only scores for the Capitals and Coventry rounded off a fine evening with another two in the third.
On Sunday, the Caps played local rivals the Fife Flyers and took the lead through Portwood (Dobron, Leinweber) at 6:00 (PP). The Flyers then equalised through Nickerson (Stewart) at 21:57 before taking the lead through Roehl at 26:55.Stewart (Lukacevic) scored a third at 29:14 then Horne (Reber, DaCosta) increased the lead at 32:22 before adding a fifth at 38:29 (PP). Final score Capitals 1-5 Flyers.
Speedway
Edinburgh Monarchs’ Max Fricke has become only the seventh rider to win the Australian Under-21 Championship on more than one occasion joining Leigh Adams, Darcy Ward, Chris Holder, Rory Schlein, Ryan Sullivan and Travis McGowan in the record books.
Volleyball
Division One Men
South Ayrshire 3 2 City of Edinburgh
City of Glasgow Ragazzi 1 3 Edinburgh Jets
Beacon Fire 1 3 Bon Accord
Dundee 0 3 Glasgow Mets
Division One Women
Su Ragazzi 1 3 QTS Troon Team Ayrshire
North Lanarkshire 0 3 City of Edinburgh
Aberdonia 3 0 QTS Kyle TA
Edinburgh Jets II 0 3 Edinburgh Jets
Division Two East Men
Beacon Flame 0 3 NUVOC
Bellshill Cardinals 1 3 City of Edinburgh II
Su Ragazzi II 3 1 Edinburgh Jets II
Division Two Women
Su Ragazzi II 3 0 Glasgow International
Dundee 3 1 NUVOC
American Football by John Preece
The Napier Knights and Edinburgh Predators played their annual Varsity Superbowl match at Meggetland on Sunday (full match report elsewhere). The teams are a lot closer in the British Universities American Football League (BUAFL) than they were this time last season, lying fourth and sixth respectively, so it was going to be an interesting clash of Edinburgh’s two Universities sides. The Predators scored the only points of any kind from a couple of yards – yes, ‘yards’! – from a running play when their running offence hammered through the Knight’s defence to cross the line for the touchdown. With the kick going over the Predators were into a game winning 7-0 lead and went on to take the unique trophy.
Photos by John Preece
http://www.photoboxgallery.com/jlp-photography
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
