Nov
10
Story by Denis Welch
This competition is played in memory of Callum Veitch who sadly lost his life in 2011. Callum played a huge part in the rugby community, playing for Portobello High School and Musselburgh RFC. Callum was also part of the Edinburgh Pathways and Edinburgh invitational 7’s squad who played in the Urban World Cup in Marseilles 2009.
On a bright and breezy autumn afternoon Boroughmuir 1st XV set out in defence of the Veitch Trophy which they had won for the last two years. Hopes were high as some members of the winning 2013 squad were unable to force their way into the 2014 squad.
The competition format is that there are two groups of 4 teams, each playing each other once. The top two from each group progress to the Cup Semi-finals.
Muir’s first opponents were Preston Lodge. Two tries from Jamie Hamilton and one a piece from Michael Sinclair, David Mitchell and Simon Orr secured a 29-0 win.
The game against Tynecastle saw 8 tries, a hatrick from Jack Robertson, and tries from Scott and Euan Muir, Paul Macari, Orr and Ben Frazer, 48-0 being the final score.
The final group game was against Musselburgh and produced five more tries in a 29-0 win.
Two more from Hamilton and one each for Mitchell, Orr and Finlayson plus another clean sheet meant that Muir had won the group without conceding a point.
The semi-final opponents were Linlithgow.
The Boroughmuir team recognised that we needed to raise their game and that ball retention was going to be the key. They put this into practice in the first half dominating possession and running in three tries, 2 from Sean Gilligan and one from Hamilton on the way to a 17-0 lead.
Two consecutive lapses at the start of the second half saw Muir concede their first points as Linlithgow scored a try. Orr scored at the end of a sweeping move to restore the lead. Final score: 24-5.
The Final Boroughmuir v (a combined) Currie/Balerno team, who having won their group winning all three games had defeated Preston Lodge in the other semi-final. They were a very well organised side with a sprinkling of Edinburgh squad players in their ranks.
Currie’s organisation and clever use of the wind plus some uncharacteristic errors on Muir’s part put Currie in control from the kick off. This pressure eventually led to Currie scoring a converted try which meant that Muir approached half time being behind for the first time in the tournament.
However a lovely passing movement, constantly keeping the ball alive saw Gilligan go in at the corner for a try. Mitchell produced a stunning drop goal conversion from wide out across the wind.
Half time 7-7.
The second half opened with Muir using the wind to set up camp in the Currie 22 and try from Sinclair broke the deadlock. This was quickly followed by Muir’s try of the tournament.
A lineout steal by Frazer saw the ball taken up twice before being flashed across the backs and setting Hamilton free on the left. A stunning side step left the cover floundering as he ran under the posts for an easy conversion.
Currie came back strongly desperately trying to get back into the game. With two tries needed and time running out a ferocious siege on the Muir line was lifted as Frazer forced another turnover, the ball was quickly transferred to Macari who ran 90 yards to score.
Final score Boroughmuir 24 - Currie 7.
The trophy was presented to Michael Sinclair and the whole squad on the Murrayfield pitch at half time in the Edinburgh v Lyon game by Callum Veitch’s parents.
In the photo:
Back row:
Callum Keane, Simon Orr, Jon White, Michael Sinclair (Capt.), Rory McDevitt, Marcus Finlayson, Jamie Hamilton, Paul Macari, Ben Frazer,
Front Row:
Scott Muir, Jack Robertson, Jacob Beckmann, Sean Gilligan, David Mitchell, Euan Muir
