ROSS High and North Berwick will go into 2022 top of their tables.
The year’s rugby calendar was completed on Saturday and both sides enjoyed victories to wrap up the year in style.
Elsewhere, Preston Lodge continued their fine recent form but Haddington were edged out at Portobello.
Both Musselburgh and Dunbar found themselves on the sidelines due to postponements.
The Stoneyhill outfit will begin the new year in eighth spot in the 10-team Premiership.
Currie Chieftains lead the way in the top flight and are nine points clear at the top of the table.
But it is more congested in the lower half of the standings, with Jed-Forest in sixth through to GHA in ninth separated by just four points.
Musselburgh trail the Borders side by three points but have played a game fewer than Selkirk, who sit above them on points difference.
Graeme Paterson’s team open up 2022 with a trip away to rock bottom Aberdeen Grammar, who have won just once this campaign. Musselburgh will be hoping to pick up a first away win of the season. They won the reverse fixture in East Lothian at the beginning of October.
Meanwhile, Preston Lodge made it five wins in a row with a 43-21 triumph over Whitecraigs.
An entertaining clash saw the Pennypit side hold a slender advantage at the half-time interval.
James Johnstone’s opening try was not converted and Whitecraigs came back to take a 7-5 lead.
Pete Johnstone then got his name on the scoresheet with the East Lothian side’s second try, which was converted by Gus Hillhouse.
That was how it stayed until the half-time interval but Whitecraigs again came back and took a 14-12 lead when play resumed.
Preston Lodge then hit the front foot and Jack Gordon and Pete Johnstone tries were converted by Paul Glynn to put them on top 26-14.
The visitors again narrowed the advantage but could not get their noses in front.
Instead, Preston Lodge scored their fifth try of the day through Paul Dixon, with Glynn again adding the extra points.
Finlay Hughes scored the sixth try before Alisdair Steele wrapped things up for the big victory.
The impressive recent form has lifted Preston Lodge up the table and they sit third behind league leaders Stewart’s Melville and GHK.
The season resumes on January 8 when they face off against Peebles, who sit sixth in the standings.
The Borders side were 12-7 winners in East Lothian in September but Preston Lodge have shown great improvements since then.
Ross High were 21-9 winners over Linlithgow in East League Division One to ensure they finished the year top of the pile.
Broughton sit second, despite defeat to Royal High, who can move to the top of the standings with victories in their games in hand.
Haddington sit fourth after losing out 24-19 to Portobello.
It is a top-of-the-table clash to begin the new year as Ross High host Broughton on January 8.
Haddington are not in action, with third-placed Royal High heading to Portobello.
Finally, in East League Division Two, North Berwick edged to a 15-12 win away to Inverleith while Dunbar’s clash with Livingston was called off.
NB were lacking in numbers and saw the recall of Jamie Dove and a debut for Mark Coull. At scrum-half, Michael Hagan stepped in as cover for Ethan Telfer, who was rested on the bench.
North Berwick had the advantage of the wind and, having survived early pressure, worked their way down the pitch towards the Inverleith line. But that was never going to be easy to cross, with tackle after tackle driving North Berwick back.
But then a lovely move saw Jamie March putting Angus Elder clear through the middle to score between the posts and add the conversion for a 7-0 lead.
If anyone thought that was going to be the first of many, they were to be disappointed. After that it was mostly defending for North Berwick, who seldom managed to break out of their own half.
It looked like they would survive until half-time but, from a penalty, Inverleith worked the ball right and crashed over for a well-deserved try on 39 minutes.
The conversion was missed but they took the lead early in the second half. This try was converted and for a while it looked desperate for North Berwick.
The visitors lost Stu Lorimer to a yellow card on 65 minutes but that seemed to encourage the forwards, who camped on the opposition line, eventually scoring through Andy Fraser. The conversion was missed and the scores were level at 12-12.
Inverleith missed a penalty with two minutes left before North Berwick were awarded a penalty of their own.
Captain Angus Elder stepped up and coolly slotted it home with the last kick of the game to secure victory.
Both North Berwick and Dunbar are in action on January 8 when North Berwick host Corstorphine and Dunbar welcome Inverleith.
North Berwick sit seven points clear of Corstorphine at the top of the standings, although the Edinburgh side have a game in hand.
The East Lothian club won 36-15 in the Capital in September.
Inverleith are still on the lookout for their first win of the season and Dunbar – who have played three games fewer than the league leaders – will be looking to close the gap on those at the top.
The reverse fixture saw Dunbar win 54-15.
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