With a record of won one, lost one against Borders clubs since the beginning of their BT National Division 1 campaign three weeks ago, Dundee High Rugby completed the set with a hard-earned draw at Poynder Park against Kelso.
Alistair Grieve had a try for Kelso all the other points from the boot of Andy Skeen with Dundee notching two tries from prop Steve Longwell and George Arnott, with Harry Millet landing both conversions and a penalty.
After last week’s disappointment at Mayfield against league leaders Selkirk, Dundee coach Colin Robertson was not unhappy with a result which leaves his side in fifth in the table.
“We certainly played better today and our commitment in the first half should have seen us more points up,” he said.
“We knew Kelso would be a tough challenge and strong in the set-piece but I think out high tempo game and physicality surprised them. Into the second half we were guilty of turning the ball over too often and that allowed them to get back into the game.
“The try that George Arnott scored was an absolute beauty so that result will give us a boost for the visit of Biggar to Mayfield on Saturday.”
The trip to Aurs Road was never going to a straightforward one for Howe of Fife in their quest for National Division 2 glory and there was no way Whitecraigs were going to make it easy for them.
It was close enough at half time to cause concern with ‘Craigs having claimed two tries from Nicky Blamire and Andy Winton with Ryan Moffat converting one so that the home side trailed only 20-12 at the break but they could add only another two Ryan penalties to go down 30-18.
The tries which kept Howe clear by two points at the top of the table from Falkirk came from Alasdair Wilson, Rob Douglas, Chris Mason and former Glasgow Warrior Hefin O’Hare, with Dom Martin slotting a penalty and a conversion.
A toiling Haddington outfit comes to Duffus Park this week which, ominously for the Neilson Park men, could be the opportunity for Howe to improve on an already impressive points differential.
Haddington did make life difficult for Kirkcaldy at Neilson Park though and the visitors edged it by a single point, the 30-29 scoreline also gaining the Beveridge Park crew a bonus point with a couple of tries from Dayle Turner and Gav McKenzie, with Finlay Smith converting two and adding two penalties.
That bonus point does Kirkcaldy’s league position no harm as they sit in fifth spot, three points clear of Whitecraigs, but they will have to up their game a bit for the visit of Cartha QP who ran in 48 points against Livingston on Saturday.
In a match which they contrived to throw away rather than Musselburgh win, Aberdeenshire looked like a side who didn’t know how to win as they squandered a last-minute opportunity to close out the game when losing 27-25.
They don’t come much later than Perthshire’s win over East Kilbride in BT National League 3 as they trailed 19-18 with a penalty to win from the last kick of the game.
Tries from Ross Dougan, Mike Hatzis and Ed Salter with an Andy Whitelaw penalty had kept them breathing down EK’s neck then Salter coolly banged over the last kick of the game to give Shire a 21-19 win.
That win fixes them in eighth position in the National 3 table but Dunfermline seemingly couldn’t buy a win at the moment as they went down yet again, this time at home by 43-17 to RHC.