Three tries not enough as Dundee crash in Borders

Visits to the borders have never been much of a success in recent seasons for Dundee High Rugby and Saturday proved no different.

Facing a Gala side in BT National 1 who had scraped a win up at Aberdeen Grammar Rugby the week before, they found themselves almost there but the agonising margin of one penalty in the 27-24 scoreline was enough to restrict them to a consolation bonus point.

The fact that both teams scored three tries apiece was testament to the closeness of the sides but in the end, the Borderers again snaffled a win which keeps them in the challenging position in the league while Dundee occupy sixth spot.

Gala racked up two tries in the first half but tries from Isoa Matagi in the 53rd minute and Alasdair Mackie in the 61st pulled them back into the game.

After Graham Spiers scored Gala’s third with seven minutes left, Matagi grabbed his second, leaving the final margin to come down to Gregor Hunter’s three conversions and two penalties for Gala to the same number of conversions but only one penalty by Fraser McKay.

Kirkcaldy find themselves at the unaccustomed dizzying heights of joint top of BT National 2, second only to Dumfries on points differential.

They racked up their second success in a row with a 35-26 win over Peebles at the Gytes.

They collected those points thanks to tries from Greg Wallace, Finlay Bruce, Scott Barclay, Finlay Smith and a penalty try.

At Duffus Park, Howe of Fife lost 20-24 to Biggar in a BT National 2 clash, while the trip to Dumfries and Galloway to take on newly-promoted Newton Stewart at Bladnoch ended in a 32-17 defeat for Perthshire in BT National 3.