With Ayr again cruising to victory in the driving rain — this time 27-0 over West of Scotland — it is Boroughmuir who have emerged as the biggest threat to their hopes of a maiden Premiership crown. The champions, who play the men from the west in a fortnight, gave Watsonians a lesson in finishing as the league starts to look more and more a two-horse race.

Though they like to think of themselves as the flamboyant fancy-dans of the Premiership, it was the Boroughmuir pack who did the work for their 35-9 win at Myreside, in particular the back row. Add a solid defence and an ability to score from long range — Watsonians were generous with the number of loose kicks they gave Boroughmuir — and the result was in the bag from the opening minutes of a match played at breakneck pace.

Watsonians, who are now sixth and a ten points behind the leaders, never found the same level of penetration and fell further and further behind as Ed Mills, the wing, got the first before the forwards battered their way to the line with Freddie Lait, the prop, eventually being driven over. Then Greig Scott, the lock, showed he also had the pace to run in long-range tries before Tom Bury, the wing, sealed the bonus point with the fourth touchdown.

At the other end of the table, Glasgow Hawks came of age by thrashing Stirling County for their second win in as many weeks that moves them clear of the relegation area, but cuts their opponents adrift, where they are joined by Melrose, beaten 20-12 by Currie, and Hawick, who lost 16-11 to Edinburgh Academicals.

In the other game, Heriot’s lived off Selkirk’s mistakes and cruised home 31-21.