The High School of Dundee showed tremendous heart and no little skill but couldn’t quite unseat three-times champions George Watson’s College to reach the Scottish Rugby Schools Cup Final at Mayfield yesterday.
Three tries in ten minutes just after half-time meant that the Edinburgh school won 34-17 and stayed on track for a fourth successive Cup ititle n the BT Murrayfield final next month but High, in their first year under new Head of Rugby Phil Godman, could hold their heads high after a supreme effort against the tournament favourites.
High actually led 10-8 at half-time and had a man advantage for the early minutes of the second half but that was exactly when Ally Donaldson’s side tightened the noose.
The three-try blitz that took Watson’s in front again might have floored the less-experienced home side but they rallied for a second try from flanker Angus Fraser and had chances to close the gap even more before a late score from Watson’s impressive full back Callum Martin finally broke their resistance.
Godman, the former Scotland international stand-off, said he was proud of the effort of his young team.
“We haven’t been together for a long time and if you’d suggested at the start of the term we’d be going toe-to-toe with George Watson’s in a Scottish Schools Cup semi-final I don’t think many would have believed it,” he said.
“They’re the strongest team in the country and winning the cup three years in a row and doing well at Under-16s in that time shows what experience they have.
“I think they maybe brought that to bear in that spell after half-time was really the winning of the game, but the application and fight our guys showed before half-time was fantastic.
“The last ten minutes was what we’re all about, playing at pace, and with a lot of Form 5 boys in the team we can build from this.”
Early exchanges were pretty level in front of a noisy crowd before Watson’s moved out to an 8-0 lead with impressive scrum-half Fraser Peters directing his big pack and midfield.
However a long defensive stand by High on their own line followed a try from stand-off Euan Fox just before the break after a sweeping move from their own half seemed to have turned the game.
Full back Rory Johnston kicked a penalty after a high tackle brought a yellow card for one of the Watson’s forwards and High had the lead at the changearound.
But fired up by Donaldson’s half-time talk the champions swept in for three tries, both half-backs scoring and Peters kicking two conversions to add to his earlier penalty.
Back came High however with renewed determination and after their impressive forwards No 8 Sean Gauld and captain and hooker Rehan Baig had made inroads, Fraser squeezed over for their second try, Johnston converting to make it 27-17 going into the final minutes.
High had one more chance to edge closer but Watson’s defence held, and the powerfully built and pacy Martin smashed through tackles for the final score late on.