Club rugby wrap: Marshall inspires Heriot's | Currie close gap

Heriot'˜s coach Phil Smith has lauded his impressive lock Callum Marshall, the top performer in a solid effort by the BT Premiership title holders as they posted a 23-17 win over a gutsy Boroughmuir side at Goldenacre on Saturday.

Callum Marshall was in fine form for Heriot's. Pic: TSPL

“The only thing he lacks in terms of being a professional is weight. But he has got everything else. He is good,” said Smith.

Marshall, who features in the Scotland Club XV training squad, was prominent in open play, scored a try and created another for Michael Maltman, while Clarke Smith bagged the first of the three Heriot’s touchdowns and Alex Hagart booted the other points to see Heriot’s home after a hard-fought encounter in which they were never behind.

Muir had tries from Tristan King, Callum Atkinson and Grant McConnell plus a Chis Laidlaw conversion, but they paid the price for a high error count and coach Peter Wright was left ruing the mistakes which handed scoring opportunities to the hosts.

“You’ve got to take your chances and you can’t afford to give away soft tries,” said Wright. “We got a point out of it but we’re disappointed.”

Meanwhile, Currie stepped up their bid for a play-off spot, producing a second-half performance brimming with character to beat Stirling County 27-19.

The visitors reached the break 19-5 adrift, with Harvey Elms touching down. The full back launched the fightback with his second score before being joined on the score sheet by Stephen Ainslie and Ben Robbins, with Jamie Forbes kicking the rest as Currie took all five league points to trim the gap on fourth-placed Heriot’s.

Elsewhere, Watsonians showed enough character in an agonising 38-36 lost against Glasgow Hawks at Myreside to reaffirm that they are ready for the survival battle they face over the coming weeks.

Rory Drummond had a converted try as Sonians reached half time 28-7 in arrears. The hosts were transformed after the break with tries from DJ Innes, Mark Bertram Angus Duckett, Ewan Scott and Euan McKirdy leaving them a point clear before the final play of the match yielded a penalty for Hawks that Josh Henderson banged over to snatch victory.