Quarter-Final of Scottish Schools Rugby Cup

A low sun and a moderately strong wind were part of the challenge for Dollar Academy’s 1st XV when they arrived in Edinburgh on Saturday 9 December to play Stewart’s Melville College in the quarter-finals of the Bell Lawrie White Scottish Schools Rugby Cup. Having beaten Gordonstoun School convincingly in the fourth round, both team and coach were quietly confident, although they knew that the Edinburgh boys would want some measure of revenge for their defeat earlier in the season.

In the event it was a hard-fought and tense contest with both sides playing open rugby and also making mistakes. Dollar started well with an unconverted try from Number 8 James Webb, but then Stewart’s Melville fought back hard, earning first a penalty goal and then their own unconverted try in the 15th minute. The closeness of the score made for some very vocal support from the grandstand for both teams. Before half-time Dollar kicked a penalty goal so that the score at the break was 8 points all.

Tension continued during the second half with both sides pushing hard to cross the other side’s line successfully in the face of some robust defensive tackling. It was the Dollar scrum-half Andrew Shedden, who had earlier received treatment for a knee injury, who was the lucky one to break through the defensive wall, scoring another unconverted try. The final score was Dollar 13, Stewart’s Melville 8.

The crowd had been richly entertained by some lively rugby. “It was great to see such endeavour on such a large pitch,” commented Dollar solicitor David Borrowman.

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