Hawick edge out Heriot’s Blues to go ten points clear at top of rugby’s Scottish Premiership

​Only a conversion separated the Greens from their Edinburgh hosts but that was enough to guarantee them a home semi-final play-off and keep them on top of rugby’s Scottish Premiership with one regular fixture left to play, away to Selkirk at Philiphaugh this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 3pm.

The four points they earned from their 19-17 win at the capital’s Goldenacre playing fields at the weekend leave them ten points clear of second-placed Marr in pole position, on 72 from 17 fixtures, and even the 80-10 scoreline their title rivals ran up at home in Troon to Jed-Forest hasn’t got them within ready reach of Hawick’s point-scored difference.

The Greens’ points-scored difference currently stands at plus-302, 119 better than Marr’s, though the South Ayrshire side have played one game fewer.

Hawick’s last-four opponents will be determined by this Saturday and next’s fixture cards, with Kelso looking to be the front-runners following their 25-20 home victory over third-placed Currie Chieftains at the weekend.

Marr and Currie’s play-off places are confirmed too, but Kelso face competition from Edinburgh Academical, Heriot’s and Musselburgh to keep hold of fourth place come the end of the regular season.

Hawick’s try-scorers in Edinburgh were hooker Fraser Renwick, flanker Calum Renwick and winger Morgan Tait, with full-back Kirk Ford adding two conversions.

Hooker Rory Jackson, winger Cammy Meager and second-row Malachy Keough touched down Heriot’s tries, with stand-off Luke Townsend converting one of them.

Prop Nicky Little, playing his 151st game for Hawick, was just pleased to see them keep their noses in front come the final whistle even if it was a closer-run thing than they’d have liked.

“We always know that coming up here will be tough,” the 34-year-old told Borders Rugby TV afterwards.

“We didn’t play our best but we came out on the right end of the result at the end of the day and that’s the main thing. That’s a pleasing thing.

“We knew a win today would secure us a home semi-final, which is obviously a big advantage for us, and our aim next week is to win and we’d be guaranteed to finish top of the league. That’s our focus now."

The first quarter of Saturday’s game was scoreless and Hawick were only 7-5 in front at half-time, and Little credits a half-time talking-to by head coach Matty Douglas for their improved performance after the break.

“Probably the whole of the first half was a big forwards’ battle and they got their noses in front, but then we managed to score before half-time,” he said.

“That first half was a bit of a dog-fight, to be honest.

“We got a wee bit of a rocket at half-time, and that first 20 minutes after half-time is the way we want to play and we scored a couple of good tries.

“In the last 20 minutes, we fell off it again a wee bit, but at the end of the day it was a win and that was our main focus, whether it was four points or five, and we did that.”