Second-half transformation yields winning double for Howe of Fife against Boroughmuir

That match was scheduled to be their last this season in rugby’s Scottish National League Division 3 at Cupar’s Duffus Park but the weekend’s wintry weather forced it to be relocated across the Tay to the all-weather surface at Dundee Regional Performance Centre.

A large crowd of Howe supporters made the trip across the firth to watch a most entertaining, topsy-turvy exhibition of running rugby from both sides yielding just short of 100 points in total.

Howe – bolstered by the return of Gregor Smith, Iestyn Richards, Will Hodgkins, and Andrew Harley – scored two unconverted tries through Fraser Allan and Luke Connah within the first five minutes.

However, a combination of poor decision-making when taking contact and inadequate defence swung the balance in favour of the visitors and they scored four tries, one converted, to lead 22-10.

Veteran James Lawrie got one back for the Fifers, with Dom Martin converting, to cut that gap but Boroughmuir broke away from inside their own half to score an unconverted try ahead of half-time for a 27-17 lead and they added another, plus conversion, once play resumed.

Howe’s travelling support then witnessed a transformation in their team as their forwards began running direct and with purpose, retaining the ball in collisions and supporting runs by their backs. Their play gelled and they moved the ball at every opportunity, defending with greater aggression and structure, causing Boroughmuir all sorts of problems.

Captain Allan was in the thick of it, leading by example, along with Richards, and in the next 25 minutes, Howe scored five tries, conceding none.

Lawrie got a brace, then Jamie Thomson dropped over to score out of a melee of players, Martin converting, before Allan, like a pinball, bounced and cannoned off defenders to score his second, plus extras, and Smith’s mazy running caused panic every time he had the ball, resulting in two touchdowns for a happy player returning from injury, Martin again converting.

That gave Howe a cushion of 16 points entering the final five minutes, but Boroughmuir reduced the deficit to nine before Allan breached the visitors’ defence for his third try of the afternoon and Howe’s ninth.

Next up is a to Glasgow to play Cartha Queen’s Park this coming Saturday, January 20, at 2pm, weather permitting.

They go into that game sitting second in the table, on 52 points from 15 fixtures.