Perhaps we thought we just had to turn up and win. Perhaps Duns wanted to win more than Peebles did. Perhaps it was the fact that we played on a hockey pitch with rugby posts. This meant that the pitch was short but more important very narrow. This prevented Peebles playing the wide expansive game their players enjoy. This is a style of rugby which has won several games this season and that is how we defeated Duns at Peebles a few weeks ago. So it looked like the home team got their tactics correct. Play on a narrow pitch and dont let the ball outside the No.10.

Peebles were actually 0 - 10 up with two early tries. Ed Flanders scoring the first. Duns kicked out of defence. Jack Harrison fielded the ball and fed Ed who rounded the home defence to score from half way. Sam Mathews scored the second after Cammy Pye had got stopped near the Duns line. After another couple of forward drives Sam scored near the posts. From a position 10 nil up Peebles should have extended this lead. Several changes were made to the team. Richard Harrison and Scott Halliday who were playing for a cottish U 18 at Murrayfield on Sunday were replaced. Cammy Pye was badly injued and required hospital treatment at BGH and St John's at Livingston for a bad cut behind his ear. Hopefully all three will be back next week.

However with these three senior players off it was an opportunity for the younger boys to let the coaches see what they could do. While Peebles didn't play badly it was Duns who raised their game. They threw everything into attack and kept the ball among their forwards. Their big heavy front row were giving problems in the set scrums. However in the lineout Adam Ridly did plenty to disrupt the bome team throws and Lian Daly won his own ball. With the narrow pitch, which was marked for hockey and not rugby, it meant that the home team defence was close together and the Peebles backs had difficulty in breaking threw and it was difficult to pass wide as the touch line and an additional defender.

The home crowd were also vey vocal. They'd gave their own boys plenty of loud support, throughout the duration of the match.

In the second half Murray Brown added a penalty to the two tries but the home team scored their two tries through strong running forward play. Their two tries were converted but Peebles were winning 12 - 13 with only five minutes to go. To be fair the Duns points which won the game were very good. From a lineout just inside the Peebles half, Duns set up a ruck. They won a good ball and it was passed back to thier stand off on half way who dropped a very good ball to win the game.

This was a game that should have been won. Ten points up in the first half. Peebles should not have been caught. The visitors should have been able to adapt their game to suit the narrow pitch, the changes to the team, and the vociferous local support. However well done Duns. They got really stuck in and gave a great display infront of a good support and on the day deserved their win.

Should Peebles have played on a hockey pitch? Did this narrow pitchmake a difference? Would the result have been different never mind that game is over and it is one the Peebles lads should put to the back of their minds but not forget completely.

Next the Colts travel to Selkirk for a re arranged game with Selkirk Youth Club kick off at Selkirk 14.30. Lets remember Selkirk beat us when we played them at Wakerburn at the begining of the season. We need a good performance before the 'Bowl' Semi final on 2nd March.