MELROSE 13
HERIOT'S 21
NEIL Cochrane grabbed the limelight with his two tries, but there was no denying the all-round quality of the Heriot’s performance as they reclaimed the BT Cup at Murrayfield on Saturday. The Edinburgh hooker may have been the only full-timer in their ranks, but the whole squad again displayed the professionalism that has been the hallmark of their approaches to big games this season.
They won their Premiership semi-final at Currie by remaining composed in the last play of the match, they prevailed in their Cup semi at Glasgow Hawks by closing the game out for the 10-10 draw that took them through as the away team, and against Melrose they again showed calmness when it mattered most. Defending an eight-point lead with quarter of an hour to play, Heriot’s ensured they kept the structure to their game that had taken them into that lead, and their opponents had no answer.
Melrose, who had George Turner, another Edinburgh hooker, in their ranks, were the agents of their own downfall as three of their players were yellow-carded. They held on well the first time they were a man down, drawing the ten-minute spell 3-3, but on the second occasion they conceded those two tries to Cochrane, both from driving mauls. When they had Jamie Bhatti binned in the closing minutes for not rolling away, their last chance was gone to make what would by then have been an improbable comeback.
“Discipline let us down a little bit and cost us momentum,” said Bruce Colvine, the Melrose captain. “We just shot ourselves in the foot..
“It’s a huge disappointment on the day, but we've got a great group of lads and senior players within that squad who are only 27 or 28, so they have four or five years in front of them. We feel as a new squad in our first season gelling together, to get to a cup final and a semi-final in the league was pretty positive.”
Melrose lost that league semi to Ayr, who now host Heriot’s in the Premiership final on Saturday. Cochrane should find out today if he will be released by Edinburgh to play in that game. “I get told where to go,” he said. “My employers are the SRU, so that’s the bottom line. If they say ‘You’re playing for Heriot’s’, I play for Heriot’s.”
Melrose took the lead at the end of an undistinguished first quarter, when Nyle Godsmark collected a clever kick ahead from Fraser Thomson and scored in the corner. Two penalties from John Semple put Heriot’s in front just before the break, and Graeme Dodds was sinbinned right on time for a repeated team offence, leaving Melrose to play the first ten minutes of the second half a man down.
Semple claimed the first score after the restart with his third penalty, only for Jason Baggott to reduce the deficit to a single point again with a drop call. But then Carmichael was shown the yellow card after a brief flare-up, and this time Heriot’s took immediate advantage.
They kicked the penalty to touch then drove from the lineout, and Cochrane carried over then touched down. Minutes later, Melrose were unable to stop another driving maul, and the hooker again finished off the move. Semple converted the second score, and although Murdo McAndrew soon scored Melrose’s own second try after a good break up the right, the Edinburgh team rarely looked troubled in the dying stages of the game.
“I think my stamina is probably a bit better,” the 32-year-old accepted. “Maybe I’ve got a slight upper hand physically, but probably more in the second half, as the game went on, I felt I was able to stamp my authority on the game.”
Cochrane’s last match had been Edinburgh’s defeat by Connacht at the start of March, and this was his first outing of the season for Heriot’s. “It’s a good opportunity to get a little bit of game time should Edinburgh need to call on me for the Munster game [their next league match]. I’ve played a lot with Edinburgh this year, and to get a bit of game time with Heriot’s - obviously I would jump at that opportunity.
“I do feel bad for the Heriot’s player that had to miss out, but they’re here to win. If that’s picking the strongest available side, so be it.”
MELROSE: Tries: Godsmark, McAndrew. Drop goal: Baggott.
Yellow cards: Dodds, Carmichael, Bhatti.
HERIOT’S: Tries: Cochrane 2. Con: Semple. Pens: Semple 3.
Referee: K Allen.
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