Monday January 5th 2015
Reporter Richard Payne
One for the filing cabinet.
Round 3 of the BT Cup sees the ten Premier sides joining to make up the last sixteen together with the the six National 1-3 sides who came through the earlier rounds. Lasswade qualified by beating East Kilbride in the first match of the season and a later walkover from Hawick YM who were unable to field a full team for the tie.
As the only survivor from National 3 Lasswade was the most junior Club left and, regrettably, the score appears to confirm that. With Boroughmuir just keeping their feet off the bottom of the Premier and Lasswade surfing the top of N3 just over two divisions separate them but it demonstrates how big the gulf is between a successful but totally amateur side and one that is at least semi-professional.
The hosts gave a good account of themselves for the first quarter hour and, indeed, were the first to score through Clarke’s boot, when Muir infringed on their own 22 but that was the only time they troubled the scoreboard.
Set pieces tended to go with the side putting in but it was in the loose and open play that Boroughmuir had near total supremacy. They seldom committed more than a couple of players to rucks and mauls leaving plenty of defenders when needed and when in possession moved the ball quickly between ever available support and recycled quickly when stopped.
The visitors first try came after 12 minutes and five more followed in the first period at fairly regular intervals. Conversions brought the half-time score of 38-3.
The second half continued in much the same vein and four more tries and a conversion moved the score up to 62-3 after 60 minutes. Lasswade kept playing though and restricted further scoring to one more converted in the last quarter before the relief of no-side.
Jamie Elliot was Lasswade’s man of the match and at least got something from the afternoon but even he, along with the rest of the Midlothian Club, will want to just put this one down to experience, file it away and move on.
One consolation is that the team seems to have come through this ordeal with only minor bruises, which has to be good news as they prepare for three unargably much more important encounters during January.
On 24th Lasswade take on fifth placed RHC at Barnton and on 17th West of Scotland travel to Hawthornden currently third and four points behind Lasswade’s lead but with a game in hand.
First up though at Hawthornden this Saturday is the first in this series of potential “eight-pointers” when Preston Lodge arrive hoping to make full use of their game in hand and improve on their fourth place. Kick-off 2.00pm.
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