​Earlston keep up 100% record in rugby’s Arnold Clark East Region League Division 3 with win v Duns

​That was their seventh bonus-point win on the bounce and it leaves them six points clear of Hawick Linden at the top of the table.

It was also played as an east bowl double-header following the postponement of a stand-alone fixture in that competition scheduled for the start of October, earning Earlston a place in February’s final against either Edinburgh Northern or Edinburgh University Medics.

The hosts’ try-scorers on Saturday were Dylan Riddell and Callum McNeill at the double, Craig Bruce and Sam Craig, with Ollie Smith kicking five conversions.

Jamie Lynn touched down for Duns, with Ben Simmonds adding a penalty and conversion.

The league is now on hold until Saturday, January 11, when Earlston and Duns will be on the road, to play the capital’s fifth-placed student medics and second-from-bottom Lismore respectively, and Linden will host basement side Inverleith, all 2pm kick-offs.

Looking back over their last game of 2024, Earlston captain Ali Cessford told Borders Rugby TV: “It’s a bonus-point win and maintains our position in the league, secures our position in another bowl final and, importantly, builds momentum going into the winter break because, come January, we’ve got three very hard games in a row and every one of them is a must-win.”

2025’s second fixture card – for Saturday, January 18 – sees Earlston hosting Lismore and Linden away to the uni medics, also 2pm kick-offs.