Playing with focus and determination Dunfermline suggested that the respective league positions should be reversed.
From the first ruck the ball moved to Dunfermline stand-off Zac Zropf who waltz through the Saints defence and off-loaded to Lliam Quarm who scored under the posts. Zropf added the conversion and Saints were 7-0 down with a minute on the clock. The early try visibly lifted the spirits of the home side and that energy and aggression was rewarded with a penalty still within the first 5 minutes. Zropf narrowly missed the chance. Saints lifted their game and after some excellent phases, were awarded a penalty 3m out when Dunfermline handled in the ruck. Saints settled for the 3 points from the boot of John Carlisle.
The visitors then went through their best spell of the match but either the final pass didn’t go to hand or they gave away a series of penalties and allowed Dunfermline to clear their lines. The home pack continued their aggressive rucking and Saints backs couldn’t get any quality ball. The impressive Zropf added another penalty for the home side to take them one score clear again.
Just before half time Saints took a quick throw-in when it was never on and their clearing kick into the wind dropped for well for Dunfermline. Saints defence did well to hold-up over the line but only delayed the score. Dunfermline went wide from the resulting scrum to score in the corner through Caine McIntyre. Zropf converted to give the half time score of 17 – 3.
Facing the strong wind in the second half the home side settled into face the expected aerial bombardment but with Zropf managing the Dunfermline game to suit the conditions, they added another score within 2 minutes of the restart. He put a long grubber kick in behind the advancing Saints defence and Ross Blanchflower collected to score under the posts. The conversion left Saints 24 – 3 down with no answer to Dunfermline’s play.
Saints continued to use their physicality to try to breach the Dunfermline defence and when that wasn’t working there was no ‘plan B’ evident on the park. Saints did manage to score when the home side knocked-on in their 22m area. The resulting scrum and first-phase ruck saw Jordan Kerr go over. The conversion was missed. 24 – 8. Dunfermline were reduced to fourteen men at this point with Derek O’Riordan yellow carded.
Saints couldn’t take advantage of the extra man as they could not get their handling right. The home defence maintained their tempo and shape and indeed looked more threatening. A minute after being restored to 15 Dunfermline infringed again and had to play a second spell with 14 as McIntyre the try scorer received a yellow card but this didn’t affect their resolve. With a little under 5 minutes left on the clock they scored their bonus point try. Saints went for an up-and-under from their own 22m area. The ball was fielded by Thomas Murray who released McIntyre with a surging run before Graham Hall went over in the corner. The conversion was missed and the final score was 29 – 8.