Rugby: City youngsters boost their reputations at Melrose 7s

A schoolboy scored a try and Jamie Farndale’s reputation continued to grow as two Capital sides made it to the quarter-finals of the Aberdeen Asset Management Melrose Sevens on Saturday.

In the top half of the draw, Watsonians defeated Hamilton 27-14 in round one with Jamie Niven scoring two tries and Mark Rennie one. Replacement Dominic Johnston, still a pupil at George Watson’s College and son of former Scotland cap David, showed his potential by grabbing his side’s fourth try.

In round two, the Myreside men defeated Selkirk 19-14 with Rennie scoring two tries and Niven getting one before they eventually lost to Melrose in the last eight. In that one, Rennie and Niven both got their fourth tries of the day, but the host club pulled away to win 28-12.

Elsewhere in that half of the draw Currie lost in round one to Stirling County and Boroughmuir went out at the same stage to Glasgow Hawks.

In the bottom half of the draw at the Greenyards, Edinburgh Accies, who had a bye in round one, saw off Kelso 21-19 in round two. Scotland under-20 man Farndale ran in two tries with Andrew Findlater grabbing the other one. In the last eight they were defeated by Saracens, though.

Angus Lean grabbed two tries as Stewart’s Melville defeated Peebles 19-12 in round one before losing out to London Scottish 21-19 next up.

Heriot’s defeated Langholm 50-0 in round one – Andrew Scott, Max Learmonth, Fraser Brown (2), Max Nimmo, Colin Goudie, Jason Hill and Junior Bulamakau all scoring – before an agonising 19-17 defeat to Saracens in round two. Saracens won the event, defeating Jed-Forest in the final with Scottish-born player Duncan Taylor scoring a try in every round.