Just a few years ago Lasswade players and supporters could only dream of playing Premier I clubs such as Boroughmuir. That dream has now been realised but only in the context of the Edinburgh Regional Cup which spans the top three levels. It is not just Lasswade’s experience that this match-up emphasises that the gap between first and third tier is even wider than that between third and fifth or even sixth level.

Lasswade contested throughout the eighty minutes and in fact were on an even footing at the end of the first quarter, but thereafter the heavier visiting pack starved them of good possession and the handling skills and support running of the Muir backs found gaps and spaces both through the centre and out wide.

The match was only able to go ahead through the efforts of the mostly volunteer “ground staff” to produce a remarkably good playing surface after the frosts and heavy rain.

The visitors were first of the blocks with a try after just five minutes but the next ten or more belonged to Lasswade as they dominated possession but couldn’t turn it into territory or points. Eventually a catch and drive from a line-out 10 metres out was followed by patient recycling from three rucks edging closer to the posts until Quigley peeled off and powered through three Muir men to ground under the posts for Brown to add the two.

That proved to be the only home relief of the half as Muir more or less immediately ran in the second try, followed by four more at roughly four minute intervals to turn around 40-7 ahead.

The visitors picked up where they left off and come the hour added another four tries but their kicker only found the posts with one of them.

The home side did not give up and with five minutes to go strung together some fluent rugby to and were rewarded when Forrester was on hand to finish under the posts for a second Brown conversion.

Muir had the last words though with two tries and a conversion in the last five minutes.

Lasswade’s last Cup engagement is a home tie against fellow Championship Leaguers, Musselburgh, on 29 December but before that Hawick YM are at Hawthornden on league business this Saturday. Kick-off 2.00pm.