Hawick’s Hector Patterson marks new deal by scoring two tries as Edinburgh extend winning start to United Rugby Championship season to four fixtures
Borderer Hector Patterson marked signing a new two-year deal with Edinburgh this week by helping them to their best start to a United Rugby Championship season since 2015.
The Denholm 21-year-old scored two of his club’s five tries, on 51 minutes and 65, his fourth and fifth as a senior, as they beat South Africa’s Lions 31-10 at home at the capital’s Hive Stadium last Friday.
Joining the scrum-half on the scoresheet for head coach Sean Everitt’s hosts were outside-centre Matt Currie on 20 minutes, inside-centre Mosese Tuipulotu on 47 and right-winger Geordie Gwynn on 74, with fly-half James Grayson adding two conversions and replacement Cammy Scott another.
Batho Hlekani touched down their Johannesburg opponents’ only try, with Chris Smith adding a conversion and penalty.
Patterson played all but the last four minutes of his ninth start on the bounce for Edinburgh before making way for Conor McAlpine, helping extend their winning start to the new championship campaign to four fixtures.
That leaves them one point ahead of Glasgow Warriors at the top of the table, on 19, with South Africa’s Bulls and Stormers level on 16 in third and fourth places respectively, ahead of a fifth-round trip to Italy to take on second-from-bottom Benetton this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 3pm.
Everitt, 56, was impressed by Patterson’s performance as he staked his claim to retaining possession of his club’s No 9 jersey.
“There’s going to be interesting competition there,” said the South African.
“Hector’s been really good and has shown growth in every game that he’s played.
“He was disappointed in his performance last weekend but he came back really strongly tonight and got man of the match.
“The other nines are going to have to work hard to displace him. That’s what we want in the club.
“He’s just got to keep growing his game, becoming more consistent in what he does.
“I’m sure he’s opening up a few eyes with his performances.”
Former Green Patterson was also pleased with how the game went, telling Premier Sports: “It was good. I’m really happy.”
He was one of two Borderers in Everitt’s starting line-up, along with Jedburgh’s Glen Young at No 4, and Melrose’s Harri Morris was on the bench.
Young, 31, played for all 80 minutes and Morris, 25, took over from Ewan Ashman at hooker five minutes ahead of full-time.
Hawick’s Darcy Graham was dropped as a precaution after playing his first competitive game for his club since May seven days earlier, their 27-17 European Professional Club Rugby Challenge Cup defeat hosting France’s Toulon, with Gwnn taking over his No 14 shirt.
“It’s not serious at all,” explained Everitt beforehand. “He’s got a calf strain that he picked up last Friday night and he’s still experiencing some stiffness in that calf, so it’s pointless to risk him, especially with perhaps a Scotland call-up in November and perhaps a game against Benetton next week.”
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