ARNOLD CLARK PREMIERSHIP
SATURDAY 17 th JANUARY 2026
GHA 21 HERIOT’S 19
By CHRIS NAIRN
Heriot’s arrived as our belated “First Foot” after the Festive break. Despite the traditional exchange of pleasantries before the match there was no doubt that both clubs and their respective supporters understood the importance of this fixture. With few matches left and both sides on the same pointage, a victory today would go a long way to easing concerns about Premiership survival. Whilst both clubs are in the top five placings in the league, there is little daylight between eight clubs in the division! An overcast dreary day welcomed the combatants to Braidholm although a wintry sun did appear as the match began. There was little wind to affect play, and the pitch once again was in very good condition despite the vagaries of the Festive weather. Soft underfoot but capable of holding a stud, the surface is a testament to the standard of groundskeeping we are enjoying this season.
A busy clubhouse saw our Allied Surveyors Scotland Sponsored lunch get underway and the adjacent lounge was also busy as a good contingent of Heriot’s supporters joined the Braidholm faithful in pre-match refreshments. I was delighted to learn that Luca Bardelli is preparing to visit Singapore and then Perth Australia with the GB Sevens before further adventures on the Sevens International Circuit. I know we all wish him every success.
Both teams went through a carefully planned programme of thorough preparation before the match. A series of essential muscle loosening exercises being followed by whole team and unit set drills. Indeed, such was the intensity of the preparation that both sets of players left the field very near kick off to quickly change into their match kit. A good crowd had assembled as the players entered the arena and there was an almost discernible feeling of tension and awareness as the importance of this match concentrated the minds of all watching.
The visitors kicked off with a high, testing kick which the home side gathered and immediately took the ball into engagement with the forward elements of the Heriot’s attack. There followed several minutes of both sides attempting to break through first line defences and both scrum halves putting teasing kicks just in front of hungry packs. However, the defensive strengths of both sides were on show early and probings were repelled and play moved across the ten metre areas of the pitch. By the eighth minute the home side had settled to a pattern of forcing the visitors back into their half with a combination of drives from Messrs Fox, Kerr, McCutcheon, Campbell and Collins and linking with their back line of McKirdy, Lonergan, Little and Mollison amongst others. Despite this progress, Heriot’s began to assert their own game plan and challenge the attempted domination by the home side in these early stages. From gaining possession at halfway, Heriot’s cleverly prompted by Messrs Talac and Wells began to find a little space behind the GHA first line defence and Messrs Wallace (who was a powerful ball carrier and line breaker all afternoon), Spence and Dalrymple forced the GHA side back to their own twenty two area as we passed the twelfth minute. Heriot’s were deploying several of their forwards in a wider position as they attempted to move the ball and these forwards used their skill to draw in the GHA defence before releasing the ball to the ever-alert Talac and Wells. Despite this pressure the home side held firm and looked to move the ball away from their own half with some lovely inter passing between Mollison, Thompson, Lonergan and MacDougall from their own twenty two metre area to take play up to halfway. A clever break from the scrum by Luke McCutcheon caused concern in Heriot’s ranks as Luke broke through the visitors’ defence. Good support from Messrs McKirdy and Kerr asked questions of the visitors and a subtle kick over the backs of the onrushing Heriot’s rearguard caused consternation in visitor ranks as the home side- to loud support from the stands- charged through after the ball. Huge pressure from the home side saw Heriot’s bravely defending the ball inside the five metre area, however they conceded a penalty and the home side kicked to the corner. An excellent catch and drive by Andrew Kerr saw the home side drive towards the Heriot’s line. Once again that master tunneller, Ruari Campbell- in a mass of bodies- found a way through to score to loud acclaim from the home support. An excellent conversion from a difficult angle by Ben MacDougall made the score after fifteen minutes GHA 7 HERIOT’S 0.
GHA could be pleased with this score as they had worked hard to try and find a way through a stubborn effective and well organised visitors’ defence. However, from the restart Heriot’s soon made it very clear they were not about to allow the home side to totally dictate the pattern of the game. In concerted and skilful attack, the visitors drove the home side back into their own half and forced them on the defensive. The visitors won several penalties in quick succession and equally quickly moved the ball into a good attacking position inside the GHA twenty two metre area. From a kick to the corner the visitors won the lineout and drove back a rather confused home defence and Ruairidh Leishman (who linked superbly with his backs all afternoon and was at every breakdown) forced himself and the ball over the line to loud cheers from the visiting support. The try was converted and the score after just over twenty minutes was now: GHA 7 HERIOT’S 7.
The visitors had struck back immediately and had laid down their challenge to GHA who had just begun to settle into a period of some control. The game now came to life with some great breaks by both sides- especially Grant Mollison and Ben MacDougall- which required desperate tackling to prevent serious incursions in both defences. Some enterprising moves by both sides came to nought through a mispass, rushed passing, sheer bad luck and some very uncompromising tackles. Whilst play had become more even GHA still tried to mount a concerted attacking platform but found it hard to break through the Heriot’s defence around the twenty metre area. Heriot’s for their part were forced on to the back foot but seemed very comfortable in soaking up the GHA attacking ploys. Exciting breaks by Messrs Mollison, Goudie and Fox were stymied by powerful tackles. As we passed the twenty seventh minute the home side again tried to push the ball wide to find space and outflank the covering visiting defence. However, a pass was superbly read by Ruairidh Leishman who intercepted the ball and scampered with delight to the GHA try line. Struan Wells converted the try and the score after thirty minutes was: GHA 7 HERIOT’s 14. The home crowd were stunned and an eerie silence descended on Braidholm as the Edinburgh cheers died down. The silence was broken by rallying calls from a number of home players to their clearly stunned colleagues. Heriot’s now began to enjoy some dominance in the match and constant drives by Messrs Wallace, Leishman and Glendinning, with kicking support from Wells and Hunter, blunted GHA attempts to play their way back into contention. A pattern had begun to emerge of the home side turning the ball over at critical moments and positions which took the pressure off the visitors and allowed Herriot’s- as we moved towards the interval- to mount their own attack. Just before the interval the home side began to regain their assurance and great work from their own half moving into their opponents half by Messrs Lonergan, Mollison, Thompson and Goudie moved the ball at pace to the alarm of the Heriot’s defence- who worked desperately to cut down these promising thrusts from the home back line. The half time whistle blew with the score GHA 7 HERIOT’S 14.
GHA would feel that they had had most of the territorial advantage of the half and indeed the resulting pressure could have lead to more points. Heriot’s would feel that they had taken their chances and were for the most part holding the GHA side outside areas that could damage their chances of victory. The match was nicely poised and promised an exciting second period.
GHA opened the second half with a testing kick deep into Heriot’s territory which was gathered by the visitors and immediately run back at the home side. There then passed several minutes of frantic effort over the respective ten metre areas followed by a number of kicks looking to turn defences which failed due to the excellent positioning of Messrs Hunter and MacDougall and their acolytes on the wings. As we passed the third minute of the half the tremendous line out skills of Adam Kerr, ably assisted by Luke McCutcheon, was securing quality ball for the home side and was beginning to affect the ability of the visitors on their throw to obtain quality ball. GHA were also showing a composed and controlled ability in scrummage moments which also robbed Heriot’s of a possible area of control. As in the first half, GHA were making some inspired breaks through the initial defence of Heriot’s and attempting to reach the twenty two metre area. Lovely work by Messrs MacDougall, Mollison and Lonergan orchestrated by subtle and varied passes from Andrew Goudie gave hope to the home support that GHA fortunes might improve. Indeed, the home side began to raise the accuracy and penetration of their driving and the visitors found themselves on the backfoot inside their twenty two metre area. There was a marked improvement in ball retention by the home side and indeed GHA were beginning to win several vital loose balls. As we headed towards the seventh minute of the half the visitors conceded a penalty which the quick-thinking Euan McKirdy took quickly well inside the Heriot’s half and sprinted through a startled Heriot’s defence to go over. The try was converted and the score after eight minutes of the half was now: GHA 14 HERIOT’S 14.
The game swung from one end of the pitch to the other with some sterling tackling and excellent mopping up by both sides preventing further scores. The pace was hectic and the effort by both sides was exemplary. Superb linking between GHA forwards and backs and accurate crisp passing was causing Heriot’s to constantly have to turn. As we passed the sixteenth minute of the half a great passage of support play saw the home side win a loose ball inside the Heriot’s half and pass the ball to Grant Mollison (who…shorn of the famous mullet seems even faster than before!) flew down the wing evading desperate cover tackles from the visitors and to huge roars from the GHA supporters crashed over to score towards the corner, just evading a desperate tackle. Ben MacDougall- from a very difficult angle- put in a superb conversion and the score after sixteen minutes of the half was now: GHA 21 HERIOT’S 14.
All present realised fully that the outcome of this match was far from decided. Whilst GHA had taken the lead, they had to overcome a dangerous opponent who did not regard the situation as impossible to overturn. Both sides made every attempt to gain control of the match but equally they tended to cancel each other out such was the tackle commitment and support play from both sides. The crowd was enjoying a real see saw battle, aware that one score separated the sides. Cool heads were required to cope with this situation as both sides gave their all to win the day.
Heriot’s, as we reached the twenty sixth minute of the half, put some lovely rugby together forcing the home side to lose possession at halfway. A further penalty to Heriot’s for a GHA infringement allowed the visitors- with huge backing from their supporters- to put in a smashing kick towards the GHA five metre area. Despite alarm bells going off in GHA ranks, and the superb effort of Andrew Kerr to ruin the line out ball for the visitors, the men from Edinburgh gathered the ball and drove with great unison of purpose over the GHA line to score. The conversion failed to the horror of the travelling support and the score was now on a knife edge as we moved into the last ten minutes : GHA 21 HERIOT’S 19.
Both sides garnered themselves for the last ten minutes and tremendous tackles and sheer determination prevented either side breaking through. This was nail biting stuff with one mistake, one inspired move perhaps sealing victory. Despite the narrow score difference neither side attempted to play safety-first rugby but continued to attack flat out.
The pressure on both defences, as play moved into respective halves, was tremendous. Just as it seemed that the home side had managed to hold on to their slender advantage- as we approached the final minute- a penalty was awarded to Heriot’s inside the GHA half for an infringement. The contrast between the groans from the home support and the cheers of the visiting support added to the tension of the moment. Unfortunately for the visitors the penalty was missed and to huge relief the home side had managed at the death to hold out. The final score was: GHA 21 HERIOT’s 19.
This had been a very, very close match with both sides giving their all. GHA will feel that they had earned this victory with the consistency of their play for the whole match. They had taken their chances, which were the result of pressure and skill, and a refusal to become downhearted when the points proved hard to obtain. A very hard working, well organised visiting team will undoubtedly feel they had chances to win this match. It had been a nerve-wracking experience for those watching the action which is a compliment to the effort and skill shown by both sides. Senior coach Calum felt that GHA had done enough to win the match and the players clearly felt that they had given their all and carried the day.
HERIOT’S : A.HUNTER N.SAKAPAJI T.GLENDINNING Z.SMITH H.HITCHENS S.WELLS S.TALAC A.BOGLE E.YOUNG S.CESSFORD P.SPENCE J.DALRYMPLE C.ANDERSON S.WALLACE R.LEISHMAN R.JACKSON R.CROMAR R.BROWN D.NEILL S.HOWARTH F.CARDEN I.PARKIN
GHA B.MacDOUGALL G.MOLLISON C.LONERGAN N.THOMPSON G.LITTLE E.McKIRDY S.COLLINS R.CAMPBELL M.FOX A.KERR J.DAVIS O.LONERGAN-BLACK
M.CONROY L.McCUTCHEON E.McGOVERN L.HODGE C.MacGREGOR L.MONCRIEFF B.CURTIS A.BOGIDRAU A.SPOWART
REFEREE: MR D.EVANS
ASSISTANT REFEREES : MR D YOUNG MR A WAT
Thanks to: Ian Robin for Officials Information, Jamie McEntegart for player number details and Keith Jones for Match Day Programme preparation.
Match Photography: Joyce & Colin Robinson
