The U16s welcomed Cambuslang to Alloway Place on a bright but chilly Sunday in Dundee in National 2 Youth League. The large crowd were thoroughly entertained as the teams shared 104 points in what was very much a game of two halves.

Dundee started brightly and got themselves in front after only two minutes. Kaiden, playing at Inside Centre this weekend, powered over under the posts after a well worked lineout move, with Euan adding the extras.

Cambuslang struck back almost immediately with their own converted try to draw level, and then soon found themselves in front after adding a quick fire second, this time unconverted. The home side continued to create chances but struggled to convert them into points, and were made to pay the ultimate price as the visitors used their physicality to great effect and dominated the scoring in the first half, being clinical with every chance that came their way.

Half time: Dundee 7-38 Cambuslang

The second half was almost a complete reverse of the first half but it was the visitors who scored first to extend their lead even further. Dundee had a renewed energy about them in the second half and Ramsay had the home side's second try of the afternoon just one minute later, unconverted. The visitors replied a few minutes later to add their eighth try of the afternoon and extend their lead out to forty points with twenty five minutes of the match still to play.

The home side didn't let their heads drop though and powered back into the match with five unanswered tries in thirteen second half minutes to get themselves to within one score of their opponents.

Ramsay got the scoring underway, grabbing his second try of the afternoon before Euan went over from a quick tap penalty a few metres out, with Euan adding conversions for both tries.

Dundee's tails were well and truly up and were now playing with a real freedom and confidence, and just one minute after the restart, Aidan went over after a fine mazy kick return (unconverted). The match, at this point, was one way traffic and the home side soon scored again, this time Rory D going over, with Euan adding an excellent conversion from out wide.

Cambuslang started to steady slightly and started to enjoy a little bit of territory in Dundee's half but it was, once again, the home side who scored next. After winning a penalty on their own 22, Euan shaped to kick for touch before swinging a long kick infield to wide open space for Max to chase and collect. It looked like a certain try as he gathered and kicked the ball forwards, before he was pulled back off the ball just 10m from the line. The referee adjudged their to be sufficient covering defenders so only a penalty was awarded, but Max himself scored immediately, taking the penalty quickly and going over, with Euan once again adding the extras.

Dundee had now reduced the deficit to seven points and it felt almost inevitable at that point that the equalising try would come. However, to their great credit, Cambuslang stuck in, dug deep and it was them who scored next to kill any hopes of a comeback. Some good forward play into the Dundee twenty two ended with the awarding of a penalty try, with Matthew adjudged to have tackled an attacking player while on the ground and denying a try being scored.

Final score: Dundee 45-59 Cambuslang

POTM: Rory Duncan

"Very much a game of two halves this one. Our lads are rightly disappointed with their first half performance, we just made it far too easy for Cambuslang to create chances and were punished at will. The half time score didn't flatter them in the slightest as they were much the better side.

We had an honest chat as a group at half time about where we could find improvements and I couldn't be prouder of how they reacted and came out and played in the second half.

We played with a real intensity after the break, showed real heart and desire to compete in the contact areas and showed a real confidence moving the ball wide. It was the complete inverse of the first half which was really pleasing.

We'll of course reflect on that first half at training and think about what we can do differently, to find some consistency and put together that second half performance over a full game. A bit of a break now for the lads to rest up and heal some bodies before we go again against Biggar."

Graeme Craig, Head Coach.