Biggar Rugby Club moved back up to second in Tennent’s National League One after – by their own account – snatching victory from the jaws of defeat at Kelso.
The 32-20 win would have been particularly welcome as, with some 67 minutes left on the clock, Biggar were 20-13 down and so high was the catalogue of errors that their large travelling support felt a losing bonus point was a good result.
However, in the space of 20 minutes – with some healthy stoppage time – that turned into a four-try five point win for Biggar, whereas Kelso were left with nothing at all to show for their efforts.
Penalties were shared one-apiece by Kelso’s Dwain Patterson and Andy Jardine of Biggar early on, but the hosts took the lead in 11 minutes when Keith Melbourne bundled his way over following a fine 20-plus metre run.
Patterson converted that, and the next try, when Terry Logan pounced from a metre out, for a 17-3 lead.
A second Jardine penalty reduced the leeway slightly, but Patterson struck back with another for Kelso, leaving the interval score at 20-6, Biggar’s largest deficit at that point for three years.
A very different Biggar side started the second half, and a series of Jardine penalties allowed them to advance towards the Kelso line.
This eventually paid off as Donald Voas crashed over for Biggar’s first try, with Jardine converting, for that 20-13 score-line.
Biggar went back on the attack almost immediately, and when Jamie Orr pinched a Kelso lineout, another run saw Voas bundled into touch.
Kelso were reduced by a yellow card, and an injury to their replacement prop meant scrums would be uncontested from that point onwards.
A further infringement allowed Biggar to sweep across the pitch, with Conor Lavery popping a pass through his legs to Andrew Lamb, who darted for the line, reducing the leeway to 20-18.
A Kelso error on the restart gave Biggar another chance and, following a series of pick-and-goes, Guy Napier crossed, with Jardine converting.
With the score now at 25-20 to Biggar, it looked like an incredible comeback.
However, there was more in the tank, and another backs move resulted in Jardine picking out Rowan Stewart, who sprinted over from the 10-metre line to score Biggar’s fourth try, with Jardine converting.
With eight minutes of overtime on the clock, Biggar kicked the ball into touch to finally end the game.
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