BT Premiership

AYR 20

HERIOT'S 8

by Elena Hogarth

AWESOME Ayr look on course to secure another title after this win took them eight points clear at the top of the table.

With just a handful of fixtures left they are well placed to regain the crown.

Heriot’s were coming off the back of a defeat to Glasgow Hawks and were shaky at the start, getting turned over at the kick-off. Ayr prop Javan Sebastian charged off into the opposition half and 6’8” Glasgow Warrior Greg Peterson crashed over for a try on his debut. His energetic performance earned him the man-of-the-match award.

Stand-off Frazier Climo was on fine form with the boot, converting Peterson’s score and the second-half try by Junior Bulumakau – also a Warrior – as well as kicking two penalties. His kicking from hand helped out Ayr too. It was just a shame that when Climo got his team-mates into a good attacking position, mistakes at the set pieces or handling errors prevented them scoring.

The only other score in the first half came from the boot of Heriot’s scrum-half Graham Wilson. The bustling and bossing Wilson whipped his troops into shape at the start of the second half but Ayr’s flankers Blair Macpherson and Andrew Dunlop put in some thumping tackles,

Heriot’s were a man down after referee Lloyd Linton sent winger Max Learmonth to the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on. With no-one home for the visitors, Climo put in a beauty of a cross-field kick for the Fijian-born former British Army man Bulumakau to pounce on for a try that brought the crowd to its feet.

A slight scuffle on the touchline, after a player from each team collided in mid-air trying to take a high ball, resulted in home full-back Grant Anderson and his opposite number John Semple being yellow-carded.

Heriot’s took advantage of Ayr’s growing propensity to give away penalties. They took a line-out on the five-metre line and second row Russell Nimmo forced his way over for an unconverted try.

Ayr captain Ross Curle ended the match in the sin-bin after a high tackle but Heriot’s, although camped out in Ayr’s half, couldn’t capitalise on the influential centre’s absence.

Ayr head coach Calum Forrester was frustrated by the errors but ultimately happy with the result.

‘We dominated at various stages. However, we just didn’t have the execution. But when we did have chances, we took them well.’

Ayr’s last match before the Christmas and New Year break is against Currie in Edinburgh on Saturday.

THE 2nd XV beat their Heriot’s counterparts 17-10, with tries by Sam Kenny, Gibson Siwo and James Armstrong. Graham Hunter converted one. Millbrae RFC’s match with Lanark was postponed.

Aberdeenshire Quines conceded their Sarah Beaney Cup tie with Ayr Ladies, sending the women in pink and black into the quarter-finals of the national competition for the first time. They are the only BT National 1 side to reach this stage and they host BT Premiership hot shots Melrose Ladies on Sunday January 10 at Millbrae, kicking off at 2pm

Ayr RFC youth section had something to celebrate too, after they fielded several teams from U18s to U13s on the same day against top independent school Strathallan – and won five of the nine matches. The U18s and U16s played in Ayrshire, while the rest of the ties took place in Perthshire