Howe unable to make the most of home advantage

Edinburgh Academicals.....39

This was Howe’s last home game of the season and the story was the same as it had been from November onwards with the side unable to compete in the forwards.

The other teams in this league are aware that Howe do not have a competitive scrum, and so they put three large heavy men in their front row, not necessarily the best three available but, currently, certain to better Howe’s efforts.

Yet Howe were first to score, after Accies centre Will Stephen had missed two easy kicks at goal.

Howe won a five yard scrum and after Chris Mason had picked up at number 8 the homesters worked it back for Stewart Lathangie to run over for a try which Angus Guthrie converted.

Howe were already struggling in the scrum and the visitors soon replied when they pushed Howe over the line for Tom Drennan, the number 8, to flop on the ball at the back of the scrum, Stephen adding conversion points.

Following that, Accies worked a move off a lineout for Ewen Campbell, the other centre, to score, and his centre colleague Stephen made the conversion.

Then came two more pushover tries, both touched down by Drennan, and Stephen converted one of them, for 26-7.

Howe were in serious strife, but then Accies wing forward Jordan Thomson was sent to the bin and with the last play of the half Steven Player went over from close range after a tapped penalty, but there was no conversion.

Howe made a further advance early in the second half after lineout peel from Terry Turpie, for play to be switched back to the left and Andrew Steven dived over for Howe’s third try which again was not converted.

Howe had some good moves, and as Accies were trying out a different front row combination the homesters managed to hold their own at the scrums for a spell.

The visitors came back with a Stephen penalty, and then a drive by them from a lineout resulted in a try for hooker Callum Black which was not converted.

Howe had three forwards in the bin at one point and during that period scrum half Alex Glashan scored the sixth Accies try which again was not converted. Restored to 15 men, Howe tried hard but could not get the fourth try which would have given them a bonus point.