The St Andrews team arrived at the Hive Stadium looking to take revenge after last year’s narrow loss. As the teams made their way out onto the pitch, they were greeted by a great roar from the crowd in what was a much-anticipated 2024 Scottish Varsity Match. Both teams took to the halfway line, and after a wonderful rendition of the Flower of Scotland, there was a very poignant moment as the stadium fell silent for a minute in remembrance of Finlay Macdonald, a St Andrews student and member of the Rugby Club who tragically passed away recently.
The teams took their sides, and Chris Schreuder got the game underway by kicking towards the Murrayfield Stand. An early penalty allowed Edinburgh to find touch on the halfway line, but a very strong Saints defence held resolute, forcing a penalty that found touch on the Edinburgh 10-metre line through Schreuder. A messy scrum in the midfield led to an Edinburgh penalty, but they failed to find touch. The ball ended up in the hands of Saints scrum half Campbell Swanson, who exited well to relieve the pressure. Throughout the opening exchanges, the game was scrappy, with both teams looking to find their feet. Consecutive knock-ons led to the third scrum of the match, just inside the Edinburgh 22. The pack, led by front row David Brown, Archie McCusker, and Sam Wright, provided a platform throughout the duration of the 80 minutes, helping to provide stability in vital moments for the Saints, as well as gain crucial penalties.
After a Saints dropped ball, Edinburgh were finally able to break out of their half after the 10-minute mark through inside centre Joe Townshend, a notable stand-out for Edinburgh throughout the game. Edinburgh continued to negotiate their way into Saints territory, where continued pressure led to a string of penalties. Despite resolute defence from the Saints, eventually the pressure told, and Edinburgh openside Alex Harrison crashed over to open the scoring. Edinburgh fly-half Luc McNally-Drew placed the ball on the tee as the Saints Ultras began to find their voice. The kick thudded into the upright, followed by roars of encouragement from the Saints loyals. 5-0 Edinburgh. The Saints bounced straight back, forcing a penalty on the Edinburgh 10-metre line. Fly-half Chris Schreuder called for the tee, but the kick drifted narrowly wide. Nonetheless, there were promising signs for the Saints.
Edinburgh continued to search for their second try of the game deep within the Saints’ half, making yards through the forward pack, led by Co-Captain Hal Kennedy. This sustained pressure amounted to a yellow card warning for the Saints on their own line after continuous, but perhaps crucial, infringements. However, once again, the Saints defence stood firm, forcing an Edinburgh knock-on and allowing the pressure to be relieved. Despite looking strong defensively, the Saints had shown little in attack until fullback Andrew Nash began to grow into the game, showing great intent in attack, taking the ball on well, and marching the Saints forward. This attacking creativity was backed up by the centre partnership of Dave Macrae and Angus Mather, who combined well to give St Andrews consistent gain line advantage.
The home side were put under a long spell of pressure deep inside their own half by the Saints’ forward pack. A lineout, thrown in by captain Fergus Cato on Edinburgh’s 22, led to a ferocious maul that fell just short of the line. Edinburgh stood firm for several phases, yet Swanson continued to feed the ball to the hungry forward pack until second row and former captain John Paterson forced his way over the line. Schreuder narrowly pulled the conversion wide, leaving the scoreline at 5-5.
Edinburgh tried to bounce back from the Saints’ try through some excellent phases. Both forward packs left everything out on the pitch, with the ferocity and brutality of the collisions drawing gasps from the spectators. The Saints’ defence did extremely well to halt these attacks, but another penalty for a high tackle gave Edinburgh a decision to make—whether to go for the posts or the corner. Edinburgh opted for touch, though in hindsight, 3 points might have been the better play, as a turnover led to another Saints exit. Edinburgh’s onslaught continued late into the first half, resulting in yet another penalty conceded by the Saints. This time, new kicker Benjamin Rodgers chose to take the 3 points, putting Edinburgh in the lead at the half-time break: 8-5 Edinburgh.
The half-time whistle brought a welcome break for both players and fans alike, as well as providing the opportunity for the ball attendants, all from local rugby clubs, to play a game on the pitch during the interval. The attendance on the day was over 4,500, highlighting how popular and anticipated the Varsity Cup game has become over the past decade.
St Andrews began the second half with a flourish and quickly found themselves on Edinburgh’s 5-metre line. The constant pressure forced an Edinburgh mistake, awarding the Saints a penalty, with Schreuder finding touch. Once again, Cato’s line-out found Joe Van Hoffen, giving the pack a platform to maul from. It was déjà vu for the Saints as a few phases went by until Joe Van Hoffen launched himself over the whitewash, sending the Ultras into jubilation. Schreuder knocked it through the middle to add the extras. 12-8 St Andrews. Game on!
Throughout the course of the game, Edinburgh continuously looked to bounce back from the Saints’ scores, but a great defensive effort from both the forwards and backs across the pitch severely limited Edinburgh’s chances. A tip of the hat to the preparation by the Saints’ coaching staff. The Saints began to find themselves in Edinburgh’s half, piling pressure on the team from the capital. The pressure became too much for the Edinburgh defence to handle, leading to a penalty in Schreuder’s kicking range. Another 3 points for the boys in blue.
However, this time, Edinburgh quickly bounced back from a Saints score with a maul try from blindside flanker Jarrod Binsted, making the score 15-13 to the Saints after another missed conversion.
From the restart, replacement prop Dan McNamara latched over a breakdown and was rewarded with a penalty. Much to the Saints’ delight, Edinburgh dissent led to them being marched back 10 metres, bringing the kick comfortably into Schreuder’s range. As expected, Schreuder converted. 18-13.
Midway through the second half, the game became a bit scrappy, possibly due to some tired legs, so Dave Morris turned to his bench, bringing on the likes of Mark McKay and fresher Jamie Thomson, who replaced Oliver Finlayson-Russell and James Murray—both of whom played vital roles on the day. The substitutions helped inject a wave of energy and added pressure on the capital side, forcing them deep within their half. After some kick tennis and a few dropped balls, the ball reached Schreuder in the pocket, where he attempted a very ambitious drop kick from distance. Unfortunately, for both his highlight reel and the scoreboard, it drifted just past the upright.
While inside the Edinburgh half, Archie McCusker was yellow-carded for a high tackle—more a reflection of the Saints’ high penalty count than any cynicism on McCusker’s part. Edinburgh were able to take advantage of the extra man, making their way into the Saints’ half through some attacking phase play led by substitute fly-half Alex Thom. Eventually, a cheap penalty was handed to them just to the left of the posts. However, they could not convert, hitting the post for the third time in the match. Once again, this ignited the Saints Ultras, who chanted in delight as St Andrews scrambled the ball away downfield.
The Saints were able to swing the momentum back in their favour as they charged down the pitch through winger Thomas Russell. This allowed the Saints to find their structure and take their time on the ball, playing out from the wing, something they did very well on the day. This pressure led to yet another penalty, which, as you might guess, was tucked away by Chris “Springbok” Schreuder. 21-13.
As play was restarted, Edinburgh once more found themselves trapped within their own half, losing significant territory due to the mighty Saints defence. A knock-on from the capital side called for a Saints scrum, where they showcased the unity of the squad by winning a crucial penalty just past the 10-metre line. Things became a bit heated in the aftermath, as the Edinburgh players, realising they were trailing heavily and running out of time, grew frustrated. Chris Schreuder slotted another penalty, cementing his place as the Man of the Match in his first Varsity. Maybe the Edinburgh kickers could take some tips.
In the final minute, Edinburgh attempted to make something of a consolation, but the ball was knocked on and reached the hands of substitute Andrew Daly, who used all his strength to launch the ball into the stands. The bench stormed the pitch, and the Ultras went wild as the Saints took their revenge and won the 2024 Scottish Varsity Match.
Final Score: 24-13
