The first Saturday in September witnessed the start of a new Tennents East League div 3 season and saw Earlston playing host to Dalkeith at The Haugh. The first League match for almost 2 seasons and it felt good to be back.

Conditions were cloudy and damp with little wind. Dalkeith fielded a full squad of 23 while the home team had only 2 substitutes.

Earlston kicked the game off. Dalkeith gathered and Fly half Wilson sent a long clearance kick from one 22 to the other, Earlston collected the ball and went for an out wide pass only to see it intercepted by Dalkeith Hooker Greg Jackson rampaging up the park after the kick, as the defence closed on him he passed out to No 5, Mike Davidson coming on at pace who ran in unopposed. Mike Wilson converted. Time on the clock, 21 seconds. A dream start for Dalkeith. However, the next 10 minutes were less appetising to watch, both sides showing the effects of the long lay-off, play was scrappy with unforced errors coming from both teams. Soft penalties, knock-ons, dropped balls were the order of the day with any 50/50 decisions seeming to favour the home side. The game see-sawed back and forth until Earlston kicked into the visitors half, the high ball was taken at pace by Dalkeith wing Robbie Lockhart who broke a couple of tackles and ran it straight back into the opposition half. He then sent a pass through the supporting players to fellow winger James Howden who took it down the line, also bouncing off a couple of tacklers, and ran in to finish under the posts. Wilson converted.

Noses firmly in front Dalkeith should have been able to take control and dominate the game but once more the referees whistle was a constant interruption. Although the Dalkeith players were hungry for ball and Scrum Half Piotr Tokarski was quick to every breakdown, moving the ball at speed and trying to get things flowing, many of the decisions seemed to go against the visitors and the match became a stop-start affair, frustrations grew as did the penalty count, (11 against Dalkeith and only 5 from the home side in the first half). It was not until the half hour mark that Dalkeith were able to strike again. This time through full-back Stephen Paton coming from deep, taking a pass on the Earlston 10m line and jinking his way through the defence to score. Wilson again converted.

Several minutes later, Paton was involved again. He fielded a high ball in the Dalkeith half and once more went on a mazy run into the Home side’s territory, a pass to centre Paul Clugston sent him down the touch line for a score in the corner. This one went unconverted but half time was reached with Dalkeith comfortably in front 27 to 0 and the bonus point secured.

Dalkeith made one substitution at the half, Chris Tokarski coming on at centre for Paton and Clugston dropping to full-back. The visitors started the second half as they did the first. Having kicked off, Earlston fielded the ball and kicked it straight back to Chris Tokarski who promptly went on a devastating gallop through the Earlston defenders before unloading to brother Piotr 5 yards out. Piotr scored under the posts and Wilson converted. Four minutes later and Piotr Tokarski scored again. From a Dalkeith scrum in the Earlston 22, Captain and no 8 Rob Letson picked and went up the blind side before slipping the ball to Tokarski to cross for Dalkeith’s sixth try of the match. Wilson duly added the conversion. Forty points up with only 45 minutes gone and Dalkeith were looking to turn up the heat.

Sadly, once more, the game was marred by constant stoppages. Play ebbed and flowed in the middle of the park until the 53 minute when Earlston kicked to the far corner and the chasing players finally put the visitors under a bit of pressure. In the ensuing scramble both teams appeared to be guilty of dropping or knocking on but it was an Earlston player that fell on the loose ball on the Dalkeith line and the Referee awarded the score. The conversion was missed but the home team were on the board. That was to be their only consolation. With the last quarter looming, Dalkeith rang the changes.

Clay Corcoran and Paul McKay came on at Hooker & Prop, Shaun Ramsay replaced Piotr Tokarski at scrum half and Alan Nethery replaced Flanker, Stephen McMillan. During the final 20 minutes Dalkeith ran in a further four tries. In the 61st minute, Centre, Andy Hamilton took the ball from a quick line-out on the Earlston 22, before bursting down the line to score in the corner. The conversion was missed from out wide. Four minutes later Dalkeith won possession in broken play, the ball was moved quickly through the hands before captain, Rob Letson, fed to Mike Wilson out wide and the Fly-half scored in the corner. He was unable to convert. Letson left the park shortly afterwards with a shoulder injury, replaced by Alan McMillan.

With Ten minutes to go Matt Henderson replaced James Howden on the wing. A Dalkeith Scrum on the Earlston 22 led to try number nine. The scrum half feeding Mike Wilson who broke through the defence to score his second try of the day. Again the conversion went a begging. Finally, it was left to replacement prop Paul McKay to round off the day. With Dalkeith working through three or four phases in the Earlston 22. Paul took a pass five or six yards from the posts. He was only going one way. Head down he steam-rollered over a couple of last ditch defenders and crashed down under the posts for Dalkeith’s tenth try of the match. Mike Wilson converted and the referee called time soon after the restart.

Overall, it was a satisfying result. Although neither team were able to bring any structure to the game thanks to the many stoppages, (the final penalty count being 18 to 7 in Earlston’s favour, yet strangely, only once did the referee speak to a player or captains and no cards were shown?). Nevertheless, Dalkeith were the stronger and hungrier side from the start. From the starting XV right through the bench everyone played with attitude, commitment and passion. Piotr Tokarski was, quite deservedly, awarded Dalkeith player of the match but it was by no means a straightforward decision. While not among the scorers, forwards, Graham Ewart and Kieran Cooney put in impressive performances as did backs Wilson and Clugston, and though things did not always go to plan, the entire side defended well and supported each other throughout. Plenty to work on and improve on? Yes! But a very solid beginning to Dalkeith’s season.