Dunbar Grammar School hosted Musselburgh Grammar in this Brewin Dolphin Region semi-final at Hallhill. The visitors surprisingly for a school the size of Musselburgh only had 14 players. Musselburgh also played with a full pack which should have worked in the Dunbar boys favour. Dunbar needed to secure good ball and spread it wide to the wingers.
Dunbar kicked off and immediately got on the back foot when the ball was taken directly into touch by a strong cross wind. During sustained Musselburgh pressure there was a serious clash of heads between Dunbar players Arthur Sinclair and Josh Stewart. Arthur left the field of play with a suspected broken nose with Joss still looking a bit dazed but played on.
Musselburgh continued to press through their rather large loose head prop and after sustained pressure the prop crossed for a good opening try to the visitors with just 7 minutes played. Dunbar started to get good possession but there were too many unforced errors occurring especially out wide. Both teams were going all out for the next score but it would not come around too soon. It took until 25 minutes for the second score and it came from Dunbar who levelled through Josh Stewart. Dunbar exerted good pressure in the Burgh twenty two but knocked on. From the Musselburgh scrum Dunbar took the ball against the head. The ball was spread wide for Stewart to romp in to level the match. Play again was mainly in the Dunbar half now as the visitors were playing well despite their man disadvantage. The pressure eventually told with another well taken try after 33 minutes when the forward set up good ball. The ball was quickly spread out right and the full back came in at speed to cross the white wash.
Dunbar then seemed to get a fresh breath of air as they scored twice in two minutes to end the half ahead. Firstly on 34 minutes the home team lost possession near the Musselburgh line. The visitors under severe pressure were forced to touch down behind their line. From the scrum Finlay Darrah burst over to score. Then straight from the kick off Robbie Brown barged over after some good play by his back division. Robbie Cockburn completed the first half scoring with a simple conversion
Half Time
Dunbar 17 Musselburgh 10
The second half started with good Dunbar pressure but the Burgh number 21 stole possession and romped home to score from deep inside his own half. Too many missed tackles allowed the score with just 2 minutes of the half played. The visitors stand-off had the easiest of conversions to level the score again. Musselburgh were now down to 13 players but still pressed forward but were guilty of a slack pass allowing the interception by Callum Rylance who strolled in from his own half. Josh Stewart added the conversion points to give Dunbar a 24-17 advantage after 42 minutes. Musselburgh lost another two players to injury and the match was over as a contest. Dunbar loaned the visitors players to level the sides at fourteen players each. On 59 minutes Jay Watson scored a solo try to extend the Dunbar lead and that was quickly followed by a James Wilson effort in the last few minutes.
Final
Dunbar 34 Musselburgh 17