Rugby Union: Wyllie teases rivals

Watsonians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Stewart's Melville FP. . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

DOUGIE WYLLIE made such a superb job of orchestrating Stewart's Melville's biggest League win over their old rivals as to suggest the All Blacks devastation of Scottish rugby has not been without one positive benefit, at least.

A strong performance for Scotland A against the tourists, followed by a genuinely warm crowd reaction when coming on at Murrayfield as replacement stand-off for Craig Chalmers, appears to have done wonders for Wyllie's confidence.

A mixture of teasing kicks and half breaks tormented Watsonians, who appeared to miss the galvanising effect the injured Gavin Hastings has on his brother Scott.

At 30, Dougie Wyllie is maturing into the type of player who will be vital to a club with such a host of talent, including Graeme Burns, Peter Flockhart, Alan Kittle, Ross McNulty and Nick Penny, that a championship within the next few years is a possibility.

Much may depend on whether the team take as long to realise their potential as Wyllie, whose 14 caps have been spread over nine years. Wyllie summed up his latest Murrayfield experience saying: 'I suppose I had to start somewhere but being cheered on against the All Blacks was definitely better than being booed off against Zimbabwe, as I was in the World Cup.'

Scots can but hope the All Blacks' influence over debates now raging on such matters as team selection and League structures proves as profound as their prowess appears to have been on a player who, aged 15 and living on Humberside, was picked for an England schoolboy football team and scored in a 4-3 win over West Germany.

Watsonians: Penalty Hodge. Stewart's Melville FP: Tries Milligan, Burns, Mackenzie; Conversions Thomson 3; Penalty Thomson.

Watsonians: R Cowan (G Henderson, 50); J Kerr, S Hastings, A Garry, R Baird; D Hodge, S Johnston; G Luck (A McMurray, 55), D Small, J Munro, J Mathieson, D Hathway (G Boardman, 38), S Aitken, S Doig, J McDonald (capt).

Stewart's Melville FP: M Thomson; J Mackenzie, K Milligan, P Flockhart (S Dickson, 40), A Jorgensen; D Wyllie (capt), G Burns; R McNulty, A Cadzow, A Kittle, B Gordon, B Faulds, M Paton, K Dobson, N Penny.

Referee: J Bacigalupo (Edinburgh).