High eventually ease past tricky Falkirk outfit

Dundee mo e into fifth spot

There was no doubt that Dundee High Rugby travelled to Sunnyside with every intention of collecting a try bonus and improving their points differential against bottom-of-the-BT National 1 table Falkirk but at times they made it just a bit difficult for themselves before running out comfortable 43-18 winners.

Falkirk have shipped an average of more than 50 points per game, although Dundee had won by only 33-0 at Mayfield at the beginning of the season, but this was a good a chance as they will get to move up the table.

Isoa Matacagi opened the scoring with a try for Dundee after 16 minutes, with Harvey Young converting, but Falkirk pulled level thanks to a Stuart McCulloch try converted by Finn Coull before Coull’s penalty five minutes later took the home side 10-7 ahead.

It took a big effort late in the half to pull it round for Dundee with firstly No 8 Alasdair Mackie touching down for Young to convert then on the half-time whistle wing Kieran Scoular grabbed the try which took Dundee into the break 19-10 ahead.

A Coull penalty narrowed the gap early in the second half but in the space of six minutes Dundee had snaffled the try bonus and effectively killed the game off.

Fraser McKay struck first, then Alasdair McKay touched down for his namesake to convert and suddenly the game had got well away from Falkirk.

They did pick up a sweet score from Conor Faulds in the final quarter but Matacagi nipped in for his second with McKay converting .

Gavin Herron pitched in with try number seven and in the end it was perhaps a bit flattering for Dundee, although 43-18 does represent a fair afternoon’s work.

Dundee move up to fifth, one point behind Selkirk and two behind Gala but having played one match more than both, so they will again have to get as many points on the board as possible on Saturday when they travel to Inverleith to face a Stewart’s Melville side mired in the BT National 1 drop zone.

At Duffus Park, Howe of Fife found themselves up against a Lasswade side who have a real chance of grabbing a promotion spot in BT National 2 and did their chances no harm with a 34-7 win.

Howe’s only score came from Ross Aitken with Shaun Gray converting but Lasswade took maximum points with tries from James Elliot, Craig Quigley, Matt Smith, Andrew Bell, Rory McKenzie and a penalty try.

Next week Howe travel to face another side with promotional aspirations when they head for Park Farm to take on Dumfries.

Isoa Matacagi bagged two tries as Dundee High won away to Falkirk.