First-half blitzes prove to be costly

For a quarter of their Tennent’s National 1 clash with Aberdeen Grammar Rugby, it looked as though Dundee High Rugby might just turn the game around.

Unfortunately, that quarter was the third and in the final 20 minutes it was the visitors who ran away with a 33-13 win.

It was fairly even stuff in the early stages but when Sam Knudsen motored over for the opening try for Grammar, they edged into the driver’s seat and a pile of pressure lead to a penalty try.

Bryn Perrot had converted Knudson’s try and with the penalty try worth seven points, Grammar turned 14-0 ahead.

Then came the Dundee comeback with a try from Ross Aitken converted by Fraser Mckay, followed by two Mckay penalties.

However, with Knudsen notching his second a few minutes after Mckay’s strike and two minutes later, Nat Coe crossing and with Perrott converting both, the door was firmly slammed on any hope.

Chris Jollands rubbed it in with a fifth try for the Rubislaw men.

At Stoneyhill, Kirkcaldy were blown away by a first quarter blitz which saw third-in-the-table Musselburgh rack up four converted tries in the opening 20 minutes then add to that with a penalty try on the half hour.

Only a try by Connor Wood got Kirkcaldy on the board before the break, trailing by 35-5.

Kirkcaldy came with a late flourish which salvaged a bonus point as they confined ’Borough to a further three tries while scoring three themselves but it still meant that they were at the wrong end of a final 54-22 scoreline.

Kyle Mcghie and Gregor Tait had a couple of tries each for Musselburgh with James Ferguson, Neil Mcnairn and Cameron Pryde claiming one apiece, six conversions added by Danny Owenson.

Wood added a couple of second half tries for Kirkcaldy for his hattrick, Scott Anderson grabbed the bonus point score and Gavin Mckenzie converted the final try.

It was another hefty defeat for a Howe of Fife side struggling desperately for numbers as they went behind 43-0 at half time to Highland.

They pulled back three tries from Sam Rowlands, Ben Mitchell and Ryan Hood, Rowlands converting two for a final 69-19 scoreline.

Perthshire got a bonus point 29-15 win against Caithness at North Inch. Jonny Armitt and Scott Alcorn had a brace of tries, Duncan Clow added one and Adam Dearden slotted a couple of conversions.