Biggar 52-6 Kelso: Harteemill leaders move 15 points clear at top

Saturday’s 52-6 home thumping of Kelso moved the rampant Hartreemill side onto 73 points from 16 games and 15 points clear of second placed Heriot’s Blues who have played 15 matches, writes Alistair Stewart.

Incredibly, Biggar scored eight tries and 52 points in a single match for the second successive week, having destroyed Dundee HSFP 52-5 on their own patch seven days earlier.

This takes their ‘points for’ total beyond the 600 mark, a quite fantastic achievement.

Yet Saturday’s latest win saw the Borders visitors taking an early lead via a massive penalty kick by Craig Dods which founds its mark from the halfway line.

Dods added a second close range penalty to go 6-0 up after 10 minutes, before Biggar hit back on 20 minutes.

After set-up work by Andy Jardine, Euan Stewart drove over the Kelso line before the conversion was kicked by Jardine to make it 7-6 for Biggar.

Some seven minutes later and Biggar stretched their lead. A lineout steal on the Kelso throw gave Ross Bradford and Euan Stewart a chance to test the Kelso defence.

While the initial thrusts were repelled, a powerful run on a good angle by Mark Bertram took the winger over the line.

With a handful of minutes of the first half remaining Biggar swept play from left to right with Bradford on hand to cover the last few yards to the line for a try converted by Jardine for 19-6.

There was barely time for the restart but Biggar made the most of it to claim their four-try bonus.

A Bassett turnover provided ball for the backs and some swift passing by among others Jardine created space for the flying fullback Robbie Orr to cross in the corner.

Jardine rounded things off with his third conversion.

Half-time and Biggar were 26-6 ahead.

Biggar then lost Conor Lavery to an innocuous looking yellow card for what referee Worsley deemed to be a dangerous tackle.

Another driven line then ended with a try for the ever industrious Richard Bassett, before numbers were evened up when Kelso’s Fergus Common was shown a yellow as the players stood toe to toe after an altercation begun by away scrum half Andy Tait.

Jardine’s conversion was kicked for 33-6.

A Rowan Stewart try converted by Jardine increased the hosts’ lead before a massive Biggar push forward and scrum collapse near the line forced a penalty try.

A brilliant passing move set up Peacock for another score on 70 minutes.

Biggar travel to the capital to take on Boroughmuir in their next league fixture this Saturday, KO 3pm.