Dundee High Rugby vs Aberdeen Grammar
7 January 2012
Dundee High Rugby 19 Aberdeen Grammar 15
Aberdeen Grammar coach Alex Duncan was less than impressed with his side’s performance as it went down by four points to Dundee.
''This was a game we could have and should have won, instead we lost,'' said an exasperated Duncan after watching his side throw away a one-point lead in the closing minutes of a tense, scrappy but always entertaining game at Mayfield.
Duncan blamed his charges for an ill- disciplined performance in which referee Jean-Marie Burel was quick to punish the away side's many transgressions, though the Frenchman was fussy in the extreme, given that neither side had played a game since early December.
A reversed penalty after barging in the lineout in the 72nd minute best summed up the day as the Rubislaw side sought to consolidate its slender 15-14 lead, leading to a break away try for hooker Simon Forrest to grab his second touchdown of the afternoon.
''We made too many individual errors, were culpable of poor discipline, although I thought we had done enough to win after coming back from 14-8 down to lead going into the final 10 minutes,” added Duncan.
“There were, however, some fine performances. In particular I thought scrum half Morgan Ward had a great game, capping his day with an excellent try”.
But while Grammar had some fine performers, including winger Erlend Oag, full back Steven Aitken, number eight Murray Douglas, flanker Greig Ryan who was relishing his return to his old stomping ground and replacement back rower Tony McGinness they had no one in their ranks to match Forrest.
The hooker led his pack with authority, hit his lineout jumpers with precision, putting the icing on his day with two well taken tries.
It had all started so well for the Aberdeen visitors who shook off their ring rust, cashing in on Dundee hesitancy to score in a minute through Oag, who hacked through to touch down in the corner.
Playing with a strong wind Dundee hit back in six minutes when Forrest burst through for the first of his brace.
Neither try was converted, but winger Jack Steele compensated with two well-stuck penalties to give the homesters an 11-5 lead at half-time.
In the second period Grammar enjoyed most of the pressure, but only had a Rob Aloe penalty to show for their efforts, which was cancelled out when home stand off Cam Brown kicked one of his own.
Just on the hour the Rubislaw side looked to have stolen the honours and a place in the quarter-finals of the National Cup when Ryan set up Ward who nipped in under the posts for Aloe to kick the easiest of conversions, giving them a 15-14, only for Forrest to spoil their day.
In the other game in Section A Kirkcaldy beat Morgan 32- 8 in Dundee, but bar a miracle it is Dundee High who will progress to the next stage.
© 2012 Jack Nixon
Reproduced with permission from the Press & Journal.
Team: Steve Aitken; Erlend Oag, Will Wardlaw, Fraser Lyle, Callum Anderson; Rob Aloe, Morgan Ward; Nicki Fraser, Matt Dixon, Richard Allen, Ed Nimmons, Stuart Smith, Sandy Warnock, Greig Ryan, Murray Douglas (c).
Replacements: Graeme Carson, Tony McGinness, Rab Barrie, Apelu Alapati, Rob Lawson.