Their near neighbours were a little too physical up front for Watsonians and a little slicker in the backs. Boroughmuir's breakaways Angus Martyn and Olly Brown dominated the battle of the loosies and scampered about to good effect with ball in hand.

"We've got Heriot's at home next week and then Ayr away the week after that so it's an important couple of weeks for us," said Muir coach Eamon John. "I think that was an improved performance today and we are building nicely. We're happy with the progress we are making."

Having come second in the forward battle Watsonians' backs were a little too lateral, running pretty patters behind the scrum with no real penetration. The home team realised it wasn't going to be their day when the normally reliable Mike Ker missed a second half penalty dead in front of the sticks, eliciting a stunned silence from the home support.

While both sides had their chances only one team converted them. Watsonians huffed and puffed but found it impossible to score a try. They spent long periods of the game in the Boroughmuir red zone, banging their heads against a brick wall defence and all they got for their trouble was a headache. At the very end of the first half, when it could have made a difference, winger Tupu Saena butchered an overlap by spilling a simple pass.

Both sides scored three penalties apiece, Ker and Elgan O'Donnell doing the damage, but the gulf in class between the two teams was highlighted by two Boroughmuir tries in the first half with another pair coming after the break. There has been much written and spoken about how the referees' new rigour at the breakdown makes for a kick fest but Boroughmuir show-cased the flip side of that argument by twice running back a Watsonian clearance kick to score; once in each half.

When Ker sent a first-half boomer downfield, visiting fullback Greg Cottrell was allowed space to run and then allowed to step inside the first line of defence before winger Ed Mills picked a smart line off the fullback and showed everyone a clean pair of heels to the line.

In the second half another ill-judged clearance was pounced upon by Muir lock Greig Scott who showed astonishing gas to outpace everyone to the home try line from thirty five yards out.

Muir's other try before the break was pure simplicity. Flyhalf Matt Cannon found the corner with a raking kick, Fergus Pringle poached the Watsonians throw and the Boroughmuir big men did the rest, a series of pick and drives ended with prop Freddie Lair getting the back slaps.

The longer it continued the more dominant Boroughmuir became with a late bonus point try from winger Tom Bury, courtesy of Brown's run up the right flank, and a late blast of horizontal rain only made Watsonians desperate catch-up rugby all the less likely to succeed.

Number eight Jonathan Pelter eventually barged his way over the Boroughmuir line in the final five minutes of the game...only to drop the ball to collective groans from home support.