Leith played their rearranged fixture with Walkerburn RFC on Saturday 23rd February hoping to push on with a good performance following the previous week’s win over Inverleith. The Borderers, originally scheduled to visit Academy Park in September, were coming off a good win away at Queensferry.

A minute’s silence preceded the match in memory of former Leith player, Derek Brock who had sadly passed away in the week; and all at the club send our very best wishes to Derek’s family at this difficult time. Once play began, Leith, attacking the Houses End, camped down inside the Walkerburn 22, where after a couple of handling errors brought promising phases to an end, they took the lead when David Meadows crashed over on an inside pass from prop, Craig Winton. Ryan Burgess, who would shortly move in from wing to stand-off to replace an injured Craig Smith, converted for a 7-0 lead. An excellent second try was to follow shortly afterwards, Matt McIlwaine getting his first try of the season after some direct running and excellent offloading from Ross Kilgour and Dave Robertson.

Ryan Burgess scored, and then created the next try, first finishing taking a pass from Alessandro Bettini to dive over following a good turnover by Grant Aitken, then stepping through a hole in the defence to put McIlwaine in for his second score of the day. Bettini and Burgess then each broke the line before putting Kenny Dannfald in for a length of the field score; Burgess adding the extras for a 31-0 lead at the half hour mark.

The scoring continued into the half-time break as scrum half Bettini put Craig Winton in to score on a short ball, then broke through at the 22 himself, jinking inside three defender to score under the posts. Ryan Burgess converting both, as he did the final score of the half, a real forwards’ effort which saw David Meadows dive over near the posts after a good catch and drive at a line out.

Half time: Leith 52 – 0 Walkerburn

Walkerburn gained some good territory at the start of the second half, putting some phases together, including a couple of line breaks before the Leith half backs combined to push the score further, as first Burgess scored in the corner, before Bettini took a quick tap penalty near the 5, to touch down.

Leith were then fortunate to be awarded a score as Robertson looked to knock on in breaking the line, Burgess hacking on to score his hat-trick try. Robertson then spun well near the line to go over for a try himself, before sending replacement Euan Martin in on a nice scissors line to score. Burgess converted these two, and the final try of the day, Bettini rounding off a superb lineout and backs moves to coast over for his hat trick.

Full time: Leith 92 – 0 Walkerburn

Tries: A Bettini (3), R Burgess (3), M McIlwaine (2), D Meadows (2), K Dannfald, C Winton, D Robertson, E Martin.
Conversions: R Burgess (11)

Leith: K Dannfald, R Burgess, D Robertson, R Kilgour (R Organ, 20), M McIlwaine, C Smith (A Barr, 5), A Bettini, R Stitt (K Aitchison, 20), G Aitken (W Cook, 60), C Winton, D Meadows, B Place (E Martin, 60), P Mitchell, G Hancock (K McHardy, 65), D McHardy (c).