The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Stew/Mel run ragged as Dundee notch up 10 tries
BTLEAGUES: High show no mercy in scintillating display at Mayfield
There are some games which a team goes out to win and others where they can see just a bit more that they take out of it, say a try bonus and a whacking great boost to their differential.
Taking that approach when winless Stewart’s Melville pitched up at Mayfield, Dundee High Rugby showed no mercy in their BT National 1 clash and with Stew/ Mel having shipped almost 300 points before Saturday, Colin Sangster’s troops ensured that the against column for the Inverleith crew went well over the three-century mark.
A 62-6 final scoreline ensured Dundee stayed fifth ahead of GHA on differential and ran in 10 tries to the delight of the Mayfield faithful.
On the scoresheet on a day to remember were wing Neil Herron with a hattrick, flanker Les McNamara with a brace and one apiece for Alan Brown, George Arnott, Ryan Fairweather, Danny Levison and James Forrester with Keiran Scoular landing six out of ten conversions.
Of their three Border skirmishes so far this season, Dundee have lost at Gala and Selkirk then won at Kelso, but they will have their work cut out to make it a 50% success rate south of Soutra this season when they travel to Riverside to take on second-placed Jed this week.
Although not quite so spectacular as some of their successes so far this season, Kirkcaldy ground out a vital five-pointer against Preston Lodge at Beveridge Park where defeat would have cost them top spot in BT National Division 2.
A 10-0 half-time lead came courtesy of a Conor Wood try and conversion and penalty by Finlay Smith, but the bonus point came with three tries after the break by Sean McKervaill, Dayle Turner and Scott Anderson, with Smith slotting a conversion.
Kirkcaldy stay top of the league ahead of Hamilton and Dumfries, who are two points behind and separated by differential, so with a trip to Lasswade coming up this week, the Fife men have every hope of hanging on to that lead.
No one was placing any wagers at halftime at Duffus Park that there was not going to be an upset as Howe of Fife and Dumfries went in level at 17-17 but it was the visitors who cranked up their game to ensure their 37-24 win kept them in joint second spot in BT National 2.
Howe were in the game until the closing stages with a win bonus tucked away after tries by Conor Holborn, Andrew Steven, Connor Crawford and Ryan Hood, with Fraser Ellison landing two conversions. But in John Carlisle Dumfries had the match winner as he notched 17 points with a try, three conversions and two penalties.
It was a frustrating trip to Glasgow for Perthshire who came away from Hughenden at the wrong end of a 24-15 scoreline after their BT National 3 clash with Hillhead/Jordanhill.
Hills were ahead 17-12 at the break with a couple of tries from Arnaud Bouchet and one from Rory Harte to tries from Duncan Clow and Dan Bowater, with Jonny Armitt adding a conversion.
They could add only a Bowater penalty after the break, while the hosts ran in a second Harte try to leave Perthshire still above the drop zone on differential.