It was Ladies’ Lunch Club day at Mayfield on Saturday, and for once there were plenty of candidates to be the waiters for this annual festivity.
That was with two matches going on the pitches below the pavilion. Such is the injury list for Dundee High Rugby at the moment that they almost had a full team waiting tables or noisily cheering from the stand as the both XVs won their matches with bonuses.
That stat on its own should have been enough to make most glasses feel half-full (of gin, the popular tipple of the day) rather than half-empty. But what’s most recent in the mind reflects the mood, and the way the first XV rather slipped off the pace in the last quarter of their win over Musselburgh seemed to be concentrating most minds.
Allowing `Burgh to muscle their way through mauls to a try bonus in the last few minutes was not ideal, but it shouldn’t trouble High that much. The game was won, their own try bonus long secured, and for an hour the team on the pitch, however depleted, made light of their missing comrades.
Head coach Colin Sangster was grateful for that, but more so for the fact that they got the five points without any more casualties. Blair Cochrane was lifted at half-time as his hamstring tightened, and High’s lead shorn to 17-13 shortly afterwards, which may have had a few eyes narrowing.
But three tries in ten minutes, with most of the team getting their hands on the ball as they swept three times from the east end of Mayfield to the west in hugely entertaining style, put the result beyond doubt.
“Just another two or three guys back would make all the difference,” said Sangster. “We showed what we’re capable of at times today and despite the injuries we’re still a good rugby team.
“After a couple of defeats the confidence definitely goes a wee bit. But we just have to have a bit more belief.”
The return of Darrell Russell and Alan Brown to the front row, with Jonny Gibson a real force on the ball, brought a familiar reassurance to the scrummage.
Chris Cumming was pressed into service at No 8 on his birthday and this always unselfish club man did the job manfully, even passing up a possible chance for his own try by giving the pass to Fraser McKay.
Ewan Fox continues to develop at stand-off, his field kicking excellent and he prompted the two or three counterattacks from their own 22 in the second half that got High on top for good. There was even a physical clearout of an opposition back rower that had former High coach Ian Rankin in the stands greatly impressed.
But the X Factor was “Ice”, High’s Fijian wing Isao Matacagi, who stepped off his wing twice to devastating effect for two tries, his footwork and surprising strength mesmerising the Musselburgh defence.
High have more two weeks to stay in touch with the leaders before the November internationals break, and after that there should be much fewer waiters available for the ladies, and plenty of ballast to make a run at promotion.
