Biggar 50

Dundee 7

Al Stewart

at Hartree Mill

THE match began in much more pleasant conditions than had been forecast although with the wind coming from the east there was a suspicion that conditions might quickly deteriorate.

This in fact was not the case and the match – all 60 minutes of it - elapsed without rain.

The respective league positions suggested that this might be an easy win for Biggar and while that was ultimately the case, the visitors did stick gamely to their task and provided a challenge.

Mark Bertram, who ended with another hat-trick, was the first to cross. Conor Lavery added the conversion, the first of five successful kicks in the game.

Bertram notched his second after 15 minutes, after Ross Bradford’s intrusion doing much to create the space for the big winger to exploit. Just six minutes later Lewis Stewart scored Biggar’s third try from another midfield break, this time from centre Rowan Stewart splitting the Dundee defence.

Having scorched into a 19-0 lead, Dundee unsurprisingly took a hand in the next passages of play and they opened their account with a try.

Scrum half McGinn found team-mate Tim Brown in support to cross for the score, converted by Kieron Scoular for 19-7.

A yellow card to centre Sean Gauld and an injury to No 8 Donald Sangster quickly brought Dundee back down to earth.

Biggar scored their fourth and bonus point winning try when Conor Lavery exploited a gap to go over under the posts.

Having converted this try the stand off was on target again, this a much harder kick from the touchline after Ross Jackson had made the most of another retreating Dundee scrum.

With just a few passages of play remaining referee Garland blew for half time.

The second period began ominously for Biggar as Jackson was shown a yellow.

They made light of this imbalance in numbers however as Conor Lavery probed the corners and touchlines with some well angled kicks to pin the Dundee defence back.

Having manufactured another midfield breenge Rowan Stewart and Robbie Orr teamed up to send Bradford over at the corner for a try.

A slightly frantic passage of play ensued as errors crept into Biggar's play.

Jackson resumed after his yellow while Bertram steadied the ship with his third try.

The winger rounded off a sweeping move which saw play moved right to the touchline and then back left via Stewart, Orr and Lavery. Bertram’s hat-trick ‘reward’ was to be immediately replaced alongside Lavery with Jardine and Hutton their replacements.

Hutton’s first touch saw him make a promising break down the right touchline with the cover just able to push him into touch.

This was the beginning of the end as it was at this point that the referee was injured.

A prolonged debate ensued to discover what the protocol in such situations was and what options were available.

This included an appeal for assistance from one of the Colts officials who had been on duty earlier but who was on his way home.

He agreed to return but Kristian Garland was able to resume for the required spell to allow the result to stand.

In that time Rowan Stewart ran a great angle off scrum ball, Luhan Kutze provising the perfect flip pass inside to allow his team mate to cross between the posts for a try converted by Conor Lavery for Biggar’s 50 points.

Biggar face a testing fixture away this Saturday to Kelso.

This has never been an easy trip and while the Border side, like Dundee, are not having the best of starts to their season they ran Gala close at the weekend.

Biggar: R. Orr, M. Bertram, R. Stewart, R. Lavery, R. Bradford, C. Lavery, L. Kutze, D. Voas, D. Voas, R. Basset, J. Orr, J. Campbell, L. Stewart, C. Milligan, R. Jackson. Reps: E. Stewart, P. Davidson, A. Peacock, A. Jardine, R. Hutton