Despite imposing themselves physically on a young Dumfries side – nine of whom featured in last season’s under-16 final – last season’s under-18 cup runners-up, Currie, needed a last minute score in the first-half to put breathing space between themselves and their flight-footed opponents, having already exchanged tries early on.

The second-half saw a second Dumfries try held up, causing nerves to creep into Currie’s display however, with last season’s defeat fresh in so many of the young players’ minds, they motored on to score two unanswered tries in the second period to secure the title.

Currie team manager, Bob Ormiston, said: “I think we took the lessons from last season into the first half which I think we controlled and can take a lot of positives from but I think we got a little bit nervous in the second half. But over the piece I think the players were absolutely fantastic.

“They gave that little bit extra tonight and to win, let alone play, here at Murrayfield is absolutely tremendous.”

The Edinburgh side started well with their forwards exerting pressure and earning territory from the outset.

A second-minute infringement allowed man of the match winning scrum-half Joe Stachan to kick his team into the lead before his side crossed the whitewash for a try on the ten minute mark – open-side flanker Irving Hastie the man to dive across at the corner flag after repeated pick and goes right on the Dumfries try line.

However, Dumfries had earned their right to the final and, while Currie’s pack strength was clear, it was clear they could threaten with a sniff of clean ball as they scythed their way into Currie territory before being halted just short though, in similar fashion to the Currie try, second-row Chris Wickes powered over for the score out wide.

Full-back Jordan Kerr then put in a tremendous kick from far and wide to bring his side right back into contention, before Dumfries again broke into the Currie dead ball area, though this time Kerr was held up, 8-7.

HALF TIME: 15-7

Currie’s confidence took an early dent in the second-half when Kerr slotted an easy kick in front of the posts after just one minute before they had a second try held up in the fifth.

However, they managed to keep their composure, won clean ball from the resulting scrum-five from which Stachan picked up and nipped over the line for the try – though he could no convert – 20-10.

Kerr then added another kick to put his side within a score but Currie replied to end the match as a contest in the 69th minute when Calum Ormiston got his hands on the ball in the midst of a forward rumble to pile over for the score – Stachan’s wonderful conversion the icing on the cake in an enthralling under-18 encounter.

FINAL SCORE: 27-13

DUMFRIES
Jordan Kerr; Taylor Hyslop, Gareth Lipton, Chris Auld, Neil Armstrong; Robert Austin, Scott Steele; Sean Graham, Louis Muirhead, Rory Middleton, Blair Thomson, Chris Wickes, Jamie Graham CAPTAIN, Ewan Miller, Callum Templeton
Substitutes
Andrew Ainslie, Martin Green, Bruce Hunt, Dominic Lewis, Scott Costley, Brodie Paterson, Mark Olney

CURRIE
Gregor Porteous; Murray Halliday, Ben Brown, Lewis Watt, Ross Buchanan; Scott Mullins, Joe Stachan; Denis Pech, Fergus Scott CAPTAIN, Andrew Philip, Calum Ormiston, Aaron Ferguson, Angus Black, Irving Hastie, Malcolm Peacock
Substitutes
Grant Williamson, Danny Smith, Ross Wilson, Stephen Dalton, Jamie Girvan, Michael Smith, Mark McWilliam

Man of the match: Joe Stachan (Currie)

Referee: Charles Samson