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Earlston were the bigger winners, bouncing back from two defeats on the trot to see off Forrester by 80-24 at home at the Haugh. ’Quins claimed back-to-back wins, sandwiching a postponed away fixture against Royal High seven days prior, by edging out Leith 17-10 on the road. Those fourth victories of this term for both take Earlston up to third in the table from fifth and see ’Quins drop from third to fourth, the former overtaking by virtue of a points-scored difference two better, though their Hawick rivals have a game in hand on them, having played six to their seven. They now take a break from league action but return on Saturday, November 15, to play each other, with ’Quins hosting that derby at Wilton Lodge Park and kick-off at 2pm. ’Quins have got a round-two national shield tie lined up away to division one’s Dalkeith in the interim this coming Saturday, with kick-off in Midlothian at 1.30pm. Left-winger Thomas Richardson scored four tries for Earlston versus sixth-placed Forrester, with replacement Josh Herbert adding two and scrum-half James Fender, full-back Clark Young, No 8 Ethan Deakin, outside-centre Keith Young, hooker Sandy Fairbairn and openside flanker Dylan Oliver also touching down. Tighthead prop Ollie Smith added six conversions and No 15 Young four. Left-winger Rory Stanger and replacement Elliot Stanger scored tries for ’Quins by the seaside against their fifth-placed hosts, with fly-half Stuart Delaney converting both and also kicking a penalty. A division down, Duns drew 24-24 hosting Edinburgh’s Trinity Academicals but a scheduled trip for Hawick Linden to Lismore was postponed due to their Edinburgh hosts being unable to field a team. Hooker Tommy Duran, inside-centre centre Harry Fuller and left-winger Diezel Hume scored the Dingers’ tries, with outside-centre Chip Brailsford converting all three and kicking a penalty. Duns and Linden’s next competitive game is a derby hosted by the latter on Saturday, November 22, with kick-off at 2pm. Linden are currently second in the table, on a 100% haul of 25 points from five fixtures, with Duns third, on 23 from seven.
