Stewart's Melville 48 – 45 Highland
After a three week break for 6 Nations rugby, club rugby returned to the former international ground as we welcomed Highland RFC for our penultimate league game of season 25/26. It was clear that both sets of players had taken inspiration from their international counterparts as they served up a high scoring, helter-skelter game with an incredible fourteen tries.
Stew Mel started the first half attacking the Castle End and the scoreboard was sparked into life with an early penalty goal from Adam Fraser. It was, however, Highland who scored the first converted try of the afternoon on the 7 minute mark to make it Stew Mel 3-7 Highland.
After some concerted pressure and well worked phase play, the home side replied with Callum O'Hagan scoring after 13 minutes, Adam adding the extras to make it 10-7. We only had to wait two minutes before Highland got their second try of the afternoon to retake the lead, the conversion making it 10-14.
Captain Sword then plopped over the line for a converted try (17-14) before Highland replied with a converted try of their own to make it 17-21. Five tries after 25 minutes was quite the start to any game! The game's sixth try soon came along with the home lock forwards, Ally Scott and Swordy, combining well to put Fin Davidson over in the corner for a converted try to make it 24-21.
The hosts finally put some daylight between themselves and the visitors with the soon to be departing Curtis Williams swan diving between the posts for another converted try to make it 31-21.
As this breathless half of rugby drew to a close, Highland scored an unconverted try (31-26) then Rory Bayne got Stew Mel's fifth try over in Arboretum corner to make the half time score Stew Mel 36-26 Highland. 62 points from 9 tries, 7 conversions and 1 penalty in 40 minutes!
The pace of the first half had failed to take the wind out of the players’ sails and Highland scored first on the 46 minute mark to bring the score to 36-31. The home faithful had to wait until 55 minutes before the try scoring resumed with Hayden Hart dotting down from the back of a rolling maul for his umpteenth try in Stew Mel colours. Hayden's superb throwing over these last three seasons has made the lineout rolling maul a valuable attacking threat which has yielded dozens of tries, mainly for Hayden! The score was now 41-31 ...
Manchester United had Fergie time and Stew Mel have their own equivalent: Valium time! As the game entered the last 10 minutes, Highland scored two converted tries (70th and 74th minutes) to take the lead 41-45. The home side were not for letting the game slip away, though, and, following a breakout, replacement Struan Murdoch darted over in clubhouse corner on the 78th minute with Adam converting to make it 48-45. Despite a very late surge from Highland, the game finished 48-45 to secure our eighth league victory of the season and third consecutive bonus point win.
This was the last home game (for now) for Hayden Hart and Curtis Williams. Curtis's parents made the trip from New Zealand’s South Island to Edinburgh to watch Curtis deliver a man of the match performance. We bid both lads a fond farewell; in the three seasons they have been in Edinburgh, they have greatly improved our 1st XV and are outstanding young men who their respective parents should be very proud of. Hopefully Inverleith hasn't seen the last of either of them.
Mentions in dispatches to props Rory Anderson and Chris Baikie who held firm against a hefty Highland front five, Ally Scott and Jamie Sword who brought work rate and endeavour, Callum O'Hagan who diligently marshalled the midfield and Adam Fraser who delivered an adroit performance at full back. All four replacements helped to raise energy levels which was particularly crucial in our defensive rearguard action in the dying embers of the game.
Our strong end to the season mirrors the strong start we made to it and gives us encouragement as we now look forward to season 26/27.
The 1st XV season ends next Saturday with a trip to Peebles.
David Calder
Photographs courtesy of Jax Mackenzie Photography
