Hawick Harlequins and Earlston keep up 100% starts to new Arnold Clark East Region League Division 2 rugby season

Making it three bonus-point wins from their opening three fixtures, ’Quins got the better of Leith by 49-24 at Wilton Lodge Park and Earlston edged out Edinburgh Northern at the Haugh by 22-19.

Their respective 15-point hauls take the Borderers four points clear of Northern at the top of the table, with head coach Neil Douglas’s ’Quins beating opposite number Cammy Hill’s second-placed Earlston to top spot by virtue of a points-scored difference 122 better.

Their East 2 rivals Hawick Linden were out of action at the weekend and that leaves head coach Keith Hedley’s side second from bottom of the table as one of three teams without any points yet, from two fixtures in their case.

Linden are away to ’Quins for their second derby in the space of two weeks this coming Saturday, following a 31-24 home win for the latter in round one of this season’s national bowl earlier this month, and Linden will be hitting the road to Edinburgh to take on basement side Forrester, both 3pm kick-offs.

Touching down tries for ’Quins were outside-centre Finlay Douglas with a hat-trick, replacement Robbie Jack, inside-centre Elliot Stanger, left-winger Fraser Casson and tighthead prop Diarmuid McGuinness, with full-back Stuart Delaney adding three conversions and a penalty.

Robbie Alexander, Tom Smith, Ryan Notton and Craig Winton scored tries at the other end of the pitch, two of them converted by Robbie Greenan.

Left-winger Harry Riddell, fly-half Dave Anderson, hooker Sandy Fairbairn and lock Josh Herbert scored one try each for Earlston, with replacement Ollie Smith adding a conversion.

Northern’s try-scorers were Jamie Smith, Jack Forrester and James Breslin, with John Craig adding two conversions.

A division down, the eastern league’s other Borderers, Duns, tightened their grip on top spot in their table with a 38-31 win away to Penicuik on Saturday.

That fourth win from four fixtures leaves head coach Richard Hume’s Dingers on 19 points, four clear of second-placed Edinburgh outfit Royal High, ahead of a visit from second-bottom Inverleith this coming Saturday, with kick-off at Castle Park at 3pm.

The division three table-toppers’ try-scorers in Midlothian were right-winger Diezel Hume at the double, inside-centre Harry Fuller, outside-centre Finlay Valentine, blindside flanker Nathan Burns and No 8 Tom Walker, with fly-half Andrew Duff kicking four conversions.