Dominant Dee beat up Bulls
Hamilton no match for Dundee
Dundee HSFP ... 52 Hamilton .......... 26 Depth of squad proved to be the difference as an injury-ravaged Hamilton succumbed to a similarly depleted Dundee side.
Dundee’s scrum had total dominance, allowing their backs time and space to attack.
The first score arrived in three minutes when Alan Brown rumbled over, with stand-off Fraser Mckay tagging the conversion.
Hamilton’s kick-off was poor and the dominant Dundee scrum provided the perfect platform for the backs to run in a try in the corner from Colin Strachan.
That pattern continued and George Arnott grabbed a brace in a 10-minute spell, with Hamilton supporters fearing the worst.
The Bulls came into the game more and slowed Dundee down, although Ronan Joy bagged another try.
Hamilton grabbed their first score on the stroke of half-time as a crossfield penalty by Russell Virtue held up in the wind and Craig Skilling improvised a knockdown to Mark Wallace, who ran in for the try. Andrew Wilson added the extras, for a 31-7 interval deficit.
Dundee started the second half in much the same way they had ended the first, opening the scoring early on as some great handling sent winger Isoa Matacagi in.
Arnott at Number 8 was controlling all of Dundee’s play and, after breaking from the base of a scrum on two occasions, created tries for Fraser Mckay and Ryan Fairweather, taking the score to 52-7.
With the win already in the bag and the bonus point secured, Dundee took their foot off the gas at the same time as Hamilton stepped up their play.
The Bulls began to exert real pressure on the Dundee back line and finally found their feet, dominating the last 25 minutes.
Fraser Dunnachie intercepted in his own 22 and immediately fed John Rogerson to run the length of the field and score, with Wilson converting.
Hamilton’s forwards by that stage had taken more control and after five phases of patient play, Greg Richardson controlled a maul to touch down.
With the clock running down Hamilton desperately sought a fourth try to gain a bonus point, and with a minute to go finally released Craig Skilling to score in the corner, ending the game at 52-26.
President Iain Leggate praised his side’s efforts, saying: “We were up against it all day; they were bigger and faster, and it is credit to the boys that they never gave in.
“They are a great bunch with a never-say-die attitude, and they are still a young team with time to grow. The future’s bright.”