Gala day puts Biggar back in the mix
Biggar revived their Tennent’s National League 1 title hopes last Friday night with a 33-29 bonus point win over Gala.
It puts Biggar back into second on 66 points, one behind leaders Heriot’s, and Gala in third on 64 as they go into the final straight.
But Gala have a game in hand over both, and a win could take them top.
In a veritable game of two halves, Biggar turned at 28-7, but Gala‘won’the second period by 22-5 to set up a nervy finish.
Biggar clocked up the four-try bonus point before half-time. Ewan Stewart rounded off the first driven maul to secure the opening try after just three minutes, with Euan Bogle converting for 7-0.
Biggar dominated the first scrum, resulting in a penalty, which Bogle used to pin Gala back in the corner. While the driven lineout was halted and held up, a handling error from Gala stand-off Craig Dods saw the ball knocked forward into the path of Conor Lavery, who promptly scooped it up and flopped over, with Bogle converting the try.
Biggar successfully appealed Craig Borthwick’s red card from last week, and he was restored to the side, but was sin-binned.
The visitors were under the cosh for that period, but still scored try number three, when a loose pass was collected by Robbie Orr, who ran wide before kicking up the touchline. He then hacked on, and with support from Fraser Jackson, it was the winger who touched down, with Bogle converting for 21-0. Bogle also tagged the extras for Biggar’s fourth try.
Craig Bachurzewski used a pick and go from a scrum to break through the Gala defence and found Euan Mcara, who romped home from 30 metres .
Gala came into the game at the end of the half, and after a series of penalties were conceded, Bogle was sin-binned, the hosts kicked to the corner, and Taylor Wilson opened their account, with Dods converting for a 28-7 interval score.
That should have been an unassailable lead for Biggar, but Gala came roaring back into the game.
Angus Dunn crossed and Dods converted, and suddenly the deficit was halved. A Dods penalty reduced it still further.
Jack Easson emerged from a pile of bodies with the ball over the line, and though the deficit was now at 28-22, crucially Dods missed the conversion.
Restored to 15, Biggar got the fifth try through Bachurzewski to ultimately win the game. Gala again used a driven lineout at a penalty and Euan Dods touched down, with Craig Dods converting for 33-19.
That provided a nervy finish, but Biggar’s stout defence held out for a vital five-points.