Biggar 19

Lasswade 7

Al Stewart

at Hartree Mill

SATURDAY'S results mean Biggar can't finish any lower than second in the table - having won 18 from 19 matches.

And promotion is now a reality for all at Hartree Mill.

When these two sides met at Hawthorndean in the late autumn Biggar recorded an emphatic 67-7 win.

This time round in very different conditions, Lasswade managed to repeat the feat of scoring a try, while Biggar struggled to cope with the visitors' tactics and the weather eventually stuttering to a narrow 19-7 win.

With other results going their way however, the victory should ensure their promotion to National Division 1 - with the caveat that the new Super 6 proposals have yet to be ratified.

Promotion has never been a topic up for discussion as the squad have remained firm in their desire to take each game as it comes with little or reference made to promotion or, even now, Championship possibilities.

After a month’s break, training prior to this match had gone pretty well and with all reporting fit there was a familiar look to the Biggar squad.

Saturday morning’s weather was benign and hopes were high that the gales which had been forecast might come to nought and perhaps pass by.

Faint hopes indeed as the afternoon brought ever-strengthening winds and driving rain, the like of which have not been encountered so far this season.

This had a major impact on the game with neither side able to play the open game they had expected and with Lasswade probably adapting to the conditions quicker than Biggar.

A short pass, forward dominated game was the one Lasswade opted for and this paid dividends and of course when done well – regardless of weather conditions - is very difficult to stop.

A half hour gone and with neither side able to convert opportunities it was a try from Chris Milligan which broke the deadlock.

A series of penalties saw Biggar mount a good attack and a carry by Donald Voas took play ever closer to the Lasswade line.

Milligan crashed over from a neat pass from Davy Reive. The conversion from Matthew Stewart gave Biggar a 7-0 lead.

After a disastrous start to their season Lasswade’s recent form has been better and so it proved on Saturday as they kept plugging away at their hosts.

Stand off Matthew Smith converted two penalties to make the score 7-6 as the game progressed, Biggar clinging on to their lead by the skin of their teeth.

Biggar were playing into the gale after the break and had but one solitary penalty chance and well struck though this was, the ball stalled before it reached the target and so as the game moved on it was abundantly clear that a score for either team would most likely see them get the win.

Very fortunately, from a Biggar point of view at least, this score fell to Biggar.

A promising passage of play saw stand off Conor Lavery use his very effective and deft ‘show and go’ tactic to breach the Lasswade defence for what turned out to be a decisive score, particularly as there were no more than a couple of minutes left on the clock.

Matthew Stewart’s conversion took Biggar clear at 14-7, denying Lasswade what would have been a well deserved losing bonus point.

Biggar: R. Orr, M. Stewart, R. Lavery, R. Stewart, C. Lavery, D. Reive, D. Voas, E. Stewart, F. Carossi, J. Orr, A. Warnock, E. Sanderson, C. Mulligan, R. Jackson.

Reps: A. Peacock, D. Dinnen, E. Bogle, R. Moffat