The first group match in the Edinburgh Regional Shield brought welcome relief from the intensity of the League for Preston Lodge on Saturday and the visit to Dalkeith allowed the chance for some old bones to be rested while some much younger ones were tested.

There were also some familiar faces returning to 1st XV action for the first time this season and it didn’t take long for hooker Calum Wilson to make his mark after the PL pack had dominated early possession and he was on the end of a Peter Johnston pass and able to barge his way over in the corner to score the opening try.
Two minutes later, it would be the turn of two of PL’s young stars to grab the limelight after Graeme Patterson had found some space down the left and found Blair Robertson in support. He confidently took the ball on and had plenty of time to send his midfield pal, Paul Glynn, clear with a pass that took a bit of controlling before he safely gathered and touched down under the posts. Patterson had no trouble with the conversion and PL were 0-12 up after only 6 minutes.
The rest of the half would not be so easy though as the massive Dalkeith pack would dominate the set piece and prevent PL from controlling any quality ball. Captain Blair Cowan had turned an ankle in the warm up so his presence was being missed but the difference between the packs was clearly evident in the front row where the home side had a huge size and weight advantage. They were able to use this by providing plenty of ball for their backs who looked lively enough and were rewarded in the 25th minute with a try from their full back. The conversion was added to make it 7-12 and although PL didn’t look that convincing in the loose, their defence held firm and no further points were scored or conceded before half time.

A totally different game plan was required in the second half and although Sam Stuart had played quite well under pressure, he was replaced by Scott Rogers to make his debut and bring a bit more ballast to the pack. The main game change was to pick up the pace of the game and try to avoid the set piece and that plan would pose no difficulties for the boys in the backs. Chris Guiney was also making his season’s debut in the firsts after a shoulder injury and he relished the occasion by making a good break in plenty of space down the left and as it was worked through the phases, it looked like another try would be scored but a knock on saved Dalkeith on their own line. They couldn’t hold out for long though and a great set of passes along the PL threequarter line was justly rewarded with another try for Glynn.
The pack were also starting to hold their own in the scrum and this allowed much more quality possession which was put to good use in the 58th minute when Glynn and Patterson linked together before finding Guiney out left and he had far too much pace for the defence and he crossed in the corner with ease.
It looked like PL might run away with things at this point and tall 2nd row debutant Jonny Sked was much in evidence as he barnstormed his way forward with growing confidence while old heid Andrew Archer mopped up the scraps in the loose but the next try was in fact scored by Dalkeith after a lapse in concentration in PL’s midfield defence allowed them to score under the posts. The added conversion made the score 14-22 which was too close for comfort and boosted the home side’s confidence for the next few minutes as they tried hard to narrow the gap further.
PL’s defence was too good though and they also gradually started to dominate proceedings going forward again. As the match moved into the final five minutes the scoring would be completed with a penalty and two further tries to bring some extra cheer for the diehard travelling support. The penalty came after Andrew Clark had injected some pace to beat his opposite number and in desperation, Dalkeith had their hands in the ruck as they tried to secure possession. Patterson slotted the goal to make the score 14-25 but then, the backs took control to finish the game in style. Patterson himself was always alert and kept things moving with a quick tap penalty before passing to Robertson who set off on a run and he had far too much pace for the tiring defence as he sprinted home from halfway.
The best was yet to come though as Dalkeith got to within a yard of the PL line before the pack was able to turn over the ball and fire it out to Clark. Glynn and Guiney would then have outpaced Usain Bolt as they gained 60 metres before the job was finished off in fine style by Rory Monks. Patterson’s conversion was the last kick of the game to complete the scoring 14-37.

Everyone has a well deserved rest next Saturday due to the Scotland v South Africa match at Murrayfield but PL will be raring to go the following week when nearest neighbours Ross High will be the visitors to the Pennypit.



Preston Lodge Team:
L King, R Monks, P Glynn, B Robertson, C Guiney, G Patterson, P Johnston
B Moyer, C Wilson, K Duncan, J Sked, P Voy, S Stuart, J Brash, A Archer

Replacements:
S Rogers, A Clark