Highland win at opponent's ground for first time in good start to season
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Highland Rugby Club overcame old foes Biggar to keep tabs on the top of the National One table.
The two sides’ rivalry dates back to their time in National Two, where they battle it out until the end of the season for the title – and both earned promotion to their current division at the same time.
Since then they have battled it out several more times in a bid to move on to Scottish club rugby’s top flight, but Highland had never won at Hartree Mill.
That all changed at the weekend, though, as Highland tasted victory with a 25-20 result.
It was actually Biggar who took the early lead, scoring a converted try to go seven points ahead, but Highland pegged them back thanks to a Hugo Crush try and a Scott Fraser conversion.
Parity did not last long, with Biggar once again going up the pitch and scoring – this time the conversion was missed.
A third try for the hosts extended their lead briefly to 17-7, but Highland took a penalty on the cusp of half time to move back within a score of their opponents and give themselves a fighting chance.
A yellow card for Stephen Murray after the restart saw Biggar extend their advantage once again, with a penalty taking them to 20-10 ahead, but from that point on it was only Highland who scored.
After some good work between Adriu Muritoki and Junior Waqanibau, it was Andy Kellock who chipped through and chased the ball himself to touch down.
Waqanibau himself scored Highland’s third try to level the scores, before Fraser’s conversion gave them a two-point lead.
Another penalty towards the end gave Highland something of a buffer, with Fraser kicking another three points to reach the final score of 25-20 to keep them in second place in National One.
Highland’s Raptors, meanwhile, saw their game against Caithness postponed due to a road accident at Dunrobin Castle, but in Caledonia North Two Highland’s third team were in action against Inverness Craig Dunain at Invergordon and ran out 29-21 winners.
Neither Craig Dunain or Highland’s women’s teams were in action last weekend.
