GOOD things come in threes for Watsonian rugby prospect Stuart McInally these days.
Included earlier in the week in Scotland's under-19 squad, the youngster celebrated by notching his first club try in a 32-8 Scottish Hydro Electric Premiership home win over Currie.
Then, as an encore, the No.8 then went on to claim the man-of-th
e-match accolade.
But if this was a coming of age by a player widely recognised as one who could go a long way in the senior game, McInally's reputation as an unassuming type also appeared well founded.
"We were a bit slow into our stride (Currie led 8-3 at the interval] but with the wind behind us our half backs played very well" he said
"Credit to Jamie Blackwood and Mike Ker with helping us take our chances so that we could show what we are capable of, and the main point our coach made afterwards was that we dug in so as not to concede a try at the end.
"A few weeks ago our defence wouldn't have been so strong."
The bonus point win, based on tries by not only McInally but also Ker and James White (2), moved 'Sonians up one place to third in the table six points off the pace.
It was a day in which Currie managed to damage themselves – they committed rugby hari-kari in a madcap 15-minute spell.
Currie coach Ally Donaldson had little option but to admit wounds were self-inflicted, saying: "We gifted four tries to a Watsonian team after which they defended very well.
"To lose four tries in 15 minutes made it hard to come back and we lost our shape and discipline a wee bit.
"For the first 35 minutes we were in control, but there were a lot of schoolboy errors and Watsonians took advantage and grew in confidence."
Any silver lining for Currie was based mainly on the remarkable composure of 18-year-old stand-off Matthew Scott. Their 20-year-old prop, Alastair Hamilton, also earned special mention from Donaldson on a day when Ross Weston led by example to claim the visitors' try.
Amidst these cameo displays, though, McInally stood head and shoulders above the rest.
If there was an element of controversy about his try – "skipper Torrie Callander's scoring pass might have been a bit forward, but I'll take it," quipped McInally – then there was nothing dubious about the quality of some thunderclap tackling.
Before McInally had left Watson's College, PE teacher Andrew Ker had compared him favourable with Scotland stalwart Jason White at the same age.
Such lofty acclaim proved justified in the way McInally dumped livewire Currie scrum-half Ryan Reeves, while on another occasion a ferocious opposition scrummage drive was negated by diligent rearguard action.
Highlighting McInally's contribution, 'Sonian coach Bruce Aitchison said: "Stuart did a man's job. He is so grounded and such an intelligent young guy as well as being calm and mature.
He added: "And all that is quite apart from two huge tackles I'd have hated to be on the receiving end of." Of course, it was not all plain sailing for 'Sonians with their scrummage challenged by the experience of the likes of Mark Blair and Colin Quigley, both ex-pros, but – helped by Currie's magnanimity – they settled to hand out a rugby lesson in clinical finishing with Jamie Blackwood orchestrating many of the attacks.
Aitchison said: "In the first half we got over-anxious with the boys trying to prove something to me, to themselves and to their team-mates. I just told them at half-time to relax.
"A result like this has, however, been coming. Although we didn't take all our chances in the previous week's win at Edinburgh Accies the percentage was certainly upped this time and as we moved around a pretty useful Currie side." What was also impressive was the way 'Sonians, notably centres Dougie Brown and Ben Di Rollo, were able to put the ball behind their opponents, often into acres of space.
Indeed, so exposed were Currie on occasions that it was left to second row Blair to put his back-line to shame in retreating deep to perform covering chores.
There was no indication of what was to come, though, when Johnny Smith landed a penalty for Currie just ahead of Weston burrowing through a ruck for the opening try.
Only 16 minutes had elapsed yet that was to prove the final score for Currie despite their early domination. Indeed, a Ker penalty looked mere consolation fayre for 'Sonians especially as Currie re-started strongly.
Suddenly though, the tide turned, with Brown bouncing off two tacklers to send in White just before Ker intercepted a long, looping pass to go in under the posts. Both were converted.
Inevitably, Currie had to throw caution to the wind, and they were caught on the rebound as McInally galloped in before White exploited poor clearance work at the base of a ruck.
The final indignity for Currie came when they were twice marched back ten metres for dissent at a penalty, Ker goaling for a personal match haul of 17 points.
Scorers:
Watsonians: Tries: White(2), McInally, Ker. Cons: Ker (3); Pens: Ker (2).
Currie: Try: Weston. Pen: Smith.
Watsonians: A Rowe, T Saena, D Brown, B Di Rollo, J White, M Ker, J Blackwood, A Fisher, G Wood, K Coertze, T Callander, captain, A Tweed, J Pelter, S McInally, I Condell.
Subs: T Hawes, N Tunnah, S Paulo, J Johnston, E Clark.
Currie: J Smith, D Fife, A Easson, M Norton, A Turnbull, M Scott, R Reeves, J Cox, C Quigley, A Hamilton, G Temple, M Blair, M Cairns, R Weston, captain, J Thomson.
Subs: A Reekie, A Mallin, A Adam, G White, R Barron.
Referee: Mr R Henderson (Edinburgh).
The full article contains 984 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
