Dundee v Melrose
DUNDEE 13 MELROSE 53
SATURDAY 16TH DECEMBER
Saturday’s National 1 match, postponed eight weeks ago having fallen foul of Storm Babet, was played on a dull and breezy afternoon. With 3 minutes played a creative penalty move saw captain Angus Runciman, having had last week’s red card rescinded, off-load to Connor Spence who scored from close range with Struan Hutchison converting. Nine minutes later the Dundee inside centre kicked a penalty to put the home team on the scoresheet, but a minute later the Melrose lead was increased when Craig Fairbairn romped 40m down the park before off-loading to Douglas Crawford who strolled in for an unconverted try. With another six minutes played Melrose forwards exerted sustained pressure allowing Hutchison to make a cute inside pass to Matty Bertram who scored under the posts with Hutchison adding the extras. The Melrose bonus point try came on the half hour with Douglas Crawford off-loading to Elliot Ruthven. The second-row forward was fouled with the penalty being kicked to the corner and from the resulting maul Ben McLean scored an unconverted try. The half ended with Douglas Crawford slipping a tackle at the base of a ruck and dancing over for an unconverted try.
Half time – Dundee Rugby 3 Melrose 29
Three minutes into the second half a penalty lineout was won and following a well worked move Craig Fairbairn crashed over to score under the posts with Hutchison converting. Seven minutes later Douglas Crawford gathered a loose ball on halfway and romped in for his hat-trick try which Hutchison converted. Almost immediately Thomas Armstrong scored an unconverted try for Dundee. With twenty minutes remaining, from a dominant scrum mid-field, the ball was passed wide to Hamish Weir who scored an unconverted try in the corner. Dundee scored their second unconverted try, courtesy of their outside centre at 70 minutes. With five minutes remaining, from another dominant mid-field scrum, Hutchison exhibited a “show and go” before off-loading to Spence who ended the scoring as he had started it by racing in from close range, but this try was unconverted.
Dundee Rugby 13 Melrose 53
Melrose – Donald Crawford, Archie Pilcher, Connor Spence, Roly Brett, Matty Bertram. Struan Hutchison, Douglas Crawford, Andrew Kirk, Ben McLean, Guerschom Mukendi, Angus Runciman©, Elliot Ruthven, Craig Fairbairn, Will Ferrie, Lachlan Gaddie. Replacements – Sandy Fairbairn, Will Owen, Thomas Brown, Scott Clark, Hamish Weir.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Douglas Crawford
Sponsored by Esther Crawford.
POINT SCORERS
