Super Series Sprint: round one team-of-the-week

Angus Fraser of Glasgow A gets the nod at hooker in The Offside Line's Super Series round one team-of-the-week. Image: Craig Watson - www.craigwatson.co.uk

ELIAS CAVEN scored a length of the field, hack-chase try which got the ball rolling, and was generally solid in defence and a threat in attack, as Ayrshire Bulls laid down a round one marker with an impressive home win over Glasgow Warriors A, so he gets the nod at full-back.

On the wings, Finn Douglas of Edinburgh A and Angus Guthrie of Watonians each scored a try, and were a handful to play against as their teams put Heriot’s and Southern Knights, respectively, to the sword.

The Bulls’ intuitive centre partnership of Jamie Shedden and Bobby Beattie was a joy to behold and too hot for a promising but inexperienced Glasgow Warriors A backline to handle, so they are selected as an in-tune unit in the middle of the park. That is tough on Ryan Southern of Stirling Wolves, who was named man-0f-the-match in his team’s win over Boroughmuir Bears largely thanks to his willingness to take players on and offload in traffic. Cammy Hutchison of Edinburgh A also showed up well.

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At least Southern’s Bridgehaugh team-mate Marcus Holden makes the cut at stand-off, partnering Ruaridh Swan of Boroughmuir Bears, who is selected at scrum-half.

In the pack, Harrison Courtney was one of 13 players announced as leaving Edinburgh last week and the loose-head prop responded in the best possible fashion by playing a key role for Watosnians as they got their title defence off to a winning start against Southern Knights. But he misses out on this occasion to Stirling Wolves man George Breese.

Glasgow Warriors A hooker Angus Fraser scored a try and sneaks in just ahead of opposite number Grant Stewart, the man he replaced on the Warriors roster, who touched down for the Bulls and could well play himself back into contention at the pro club after being released at the end of last season.

Struan Cessford is at tight-head prop after being one of the second half replacements who helped Heriot’s recover from a fairly catastrophic opening 40 to secure some level of respectability on the final scoreboard against Edinburgh A.

Jamie Hodgson of Edinburgh A and Jamie Berrisford of Watsonians are the second-rows after being named as players of the match in their respective teams’ victories.

In the back-row, Bulls blindside Ryan Sweeney was an absolute nightmare to play for Glasgow Warriors against, as a threat at every breakdown and uncompromising competitor in every area. Meanwhile, Iain Wilson‘s two tries in a typically industrious performance for Heriot’s earns him the No 7 jersey, and Harry Borthwick of Southern Knights squeezes out Bulls’ inspirational skipper Blair Macpherson and Edinburgh Academy departee Rudi Brown at No 8.