Rugby: Dunfermline fight back for National Four win over Whitecraigs

GAVIN EMERSON praised his team's defensive effort after Dunfermline Rugby Club senior men's first XV fought back to beat Whitecraigs.

The McKane Park outfit were 14-7 behind at half-time, but three second half tries - which gave the hosts a bonus point - and a penalty helped them to win 31-14.

The result continued a promising start to the season for Dunfermline, who sit third in National League Division Four with 12 points, just three off early pacesetters Strathmore, after three matches.

Emerson, whose team have collected a try-scoring bonus point in each of their games, as well as a losing one following a narrow two-point defeat at Moray in their previous outing, said: "When we got the pressure us, we gave away a couple of silly penalties, which allowed them to get two easy scores, but we started to get a bit of a foothold into the game at the end of the first half.

"We managed to get a score back, which then allowed us to get a bit of confidence up, and we started putting a bit of pressure on near the end of the first half, which was great, to take us into the break only seven points behind.

Dunfermline came from behind to win. (Image: David Wardle.)

"It was a funny one because, in previous games, we've done really well against Whitecraigs in the first half, so it was quite a shock going into the second half.

"The message at half-time to them was that Whitecraigs have given us everything they've got, and we're still hanging on. We hadn't got out of first gear.

"We had a couple of chats in our forwards and backs units, then we set some aims, and went out for the second half and started really well.

"We kicked off to them. We managed to field the ball back, then we managed to get a lineout thereafter, because they cleared the kick, which then gave us a good platform. We started putting a bit of pressure on them and then, eventually, their defence broke, and we managed to get over.

"From the back of that, we got another couple of scores, and then we just sealed it off with a penalty kick, which was with maybe 8-10 minutes left, and there was no way they could come back from that then. It was really good.

"We made 183 tackles in that game, which was pretty cool for the boys to see, the defensive efforts that they put in. It was good. We missed a few tackles, we missed 36 tackles, but because our defensive connection worked, if one person missed, there was always someone at the side connected to them to then make the tackle."

Head coach Gavin Emerson praised his side's defensive efforts. (Image: David Wardle.)

He added: "Recently, especially the last two games, although we've conceded points, we've gone through big defensive sets, with up to six, to seven, to eight, to ten phases, and we've not given away a penalty, we've lost a little territory, but then, in the end, we end up forcing a knock-on, or get a double-team tackle, which then allows us to turn the ball over in the contacts.

"Whitecraigs were a good a side. They had the same players as last year, and we just sort of nulified their attack, which was brilliant, especially for the lads.

"We know our attack's good - it's just our defence that can let us slide away a wee bit. We just broke them down and we left a few on the pitch as well, a few disallowed tries, a couple of held-up tries, but the boys just seemed cool at half-time. They weren't panicking, which is great, because you know what it's like when panic starts to set in - even more errors will creep in.

"We had a really good bench come on and support the players that started."

This Saturday, Dunfermline's first XV travel to Stewartry (3pm), whilst their second XV, who lost 59-26 at home to Grangemouth Stags second XV in Caledonia Midlands Region League, Division Three, travel to Arbroath (1.30pm).