Perhaps the most frustrating thing about Dundee High’s probably decisive 32-18 loss to Watsonians on Saturday was that it was all so unexpected.
Even at half-time, everything looked like it was going exactly to plan. The form team in the RBS National League, unbeaten at home, were simply too big and organised for the visitors from Edinburgh, and 18-0 was actually a modest return for their superiority.
Even though they left probably another couple of tries on the paddock and hadn’t really driven home a man advantage when their relentless pressure forced referee Graham Wells to reach for the yellow card as Watsonians retreated, it didn’t seem to matter.
Surely they’d just maul and scrummage the life out of the visitors in the second half as well and jump into the promotion play-off spot?
Yet only 22 minutes later Watsonians had the bonus point try and the momentum change was complete. In the end the Edinburgh side left Mayfield with a 32-18 victory, secure again in second place and in all likelihood ending High’s bid for promotion.
Head coach Colin Robertson admitted to being stunned by the game of two halves to end them all.
“Having played so well with territory and possession in the first half, I was actually disappointed to only be 18 points up,” he said.
“To finish 32 -18 down was a shock and a huge disappointment. We let ourselves down with a shocking second half collapse by thinking the job was done. We had our worst half of the year when we needed most to be at our best.”
Having driven a couple of mauls 30 metres in the first half and one scrummage about the same distance, one might have expected High to stick to the same plan after the break.
Instead, the wayward kicking that had blunted their dominance in the first half turned into an epidemic in the second, with possession surrendered too easily and giving Watsonians’ outstanding back three room to roam.
In sharp contrast, the visitors experienced fly-half Mike Ker took control of the game.
He may not be the greatest physical specimen in club rugby and his rather classless taunting of Bryce Hosie when the full-back was yellow carded later was less than impressive, but in all other on-field aspects he dragged his team back into the game.
A succession of steepling bombs had the High defence all over the place, and Ker showed an unexpected turn of pace to go through gaps and set up a succession of scoring opportunities.
The Watsonians pack, close to capitulation in the first half, found more resolve in the second as you’d expect from a unit coached by former Scotland captain Jason “Mighty” White.
But High contributed to their own malaise with errors of judgment, giving Ker far too much room to operate and then letting their frustration vent with an avalanche of second half penalties.
That frustration became desperation in the final quarter as they managed to wrest some territory but forced play far too often.
At no time were they able to go back to the staples that had served them so well, with tries for Steve Longwell and Alan Brown, in the first-half.
With four games remaining it’s not mathematically impossible for High to get back, but extremely unlikely. Watsonians have three home games in their last four and although two are going to be tight Edinburgh derbies with Boroughmuir and Stewarts Melville, they looked like a team reprieved on Saturday.
For High, too many points dropped away from home coupled with Saturday’s collapse have now given them too much to do to get back into the Premiership at the first time of asking.