For this RBS East 1 fixture against Langholm, this was a day made for rugby, sunshine, light winds, a firm pitch and most importantly, a dry ball! A big crowd turned up hoping to see expansive rugby and they were not to be disappointed.

The visitors were making their first ever appearance at Recreation Park and whilst they were seven points adrift of North Berwick at the start of the match, they had two games in hand so it was an important match for both sides.

Adam McNair won the toss and chose to play away from the clubhouse. For the first plays of the match, Langholm had plenty of possession and good field position but failed to make inroads to the home defence which looked in good health. North Berwick worked their way to the Langholm half and won a penalty in the third minute. Stand off Liam West, who had been working hard on his kicking pre match, dispatched the ball between the posts to open the scoring. He was to go on to have a flawless display with the boot.

The game then evened up and for twenty minutes Langholm worked hard to contain North Berwick but still managing to attack with the ball when they had it. Calum Mark and Gus Elder in the home centres were ensuring that there were no gaps to exploit and the home forwards were working to subdue a stuffy pack of forwards.

It took until the twenty fifth minute for the score to increase and it was another penalty from West. Shortly after and from a line out on the visitors 22 West ran flat and Mark and Elder split allowing right wing Graeme Fairgrieve to come between them and take West’s delayed pass and stroll through the gap for a training ground try under the posts for an easy conversion. Five minutes later West was to score a try himself as he threw a dummy to the Langholm stand off and then used pace to beat the remaining defence to score at the posts.

His conversion made the half time score North Berwick 20 Langholm 0.

Playing up the slope in the second half was always going to be a challenge for Langholm and so it proved. The home forwards were now firmly in charge and with the scrum and line out going well there was space a plenty for Ben Inglis, Jamie Dove and Gregor Anderson the home back and they used the ball powerfully well supported by their front five colleagues.

West was to score another try in seven minutes and was followed in three minutes later by full back Connor Johnson. Elder found a hole in the visitors defence in thirteen minutes and Anderson was on hand to power over for another excellent try. West continued his form and converted them all.

The final try was a forwards effort with the Langholm pack being marched back over their line and Ben Inglis claiming to score. West had retired by then and Charlie Elms kicked a good conversion.

The final score was Langholm’s as centre Neil Cubbon drove over for a consolation try to add to his earlier penalty and to make the journey home a little more palatable.

This was a really good performance from the nineteen players used and was built up front but executed in the backs. West had a smashing match with twenty six points and was man of the match. Inglis was outstanding in the forwards as were props Alan Gallagher and Jonny Riddell who easily saw off their bigger opponents. As always the side was led from the front by Adam McNair – he doesn’t know how to take a backward step!

With no game this Saturday and Scotland v Wales on the club TV, the next match is at home to Hawick Linden for the Jonny Mitchell Trophy.

Team: Connor Johnson; G Fairgrieve, A Elder, C Mark, Kyle Hamilton; L West, G Spence; J Riddell, B Buchanan, A Gallagher, I Dove, A McNair (Capt), J Armstrong,, B Inglis, G Anderson. Subs: Grant Black, Robbie Mercer, J Dove and Charlie Elms