Dunbar RFC v North Berwick RFC
Saturday 4th October 2025
Match Report by Alex Coull, Photos by Glenn Young
Dunbar RFC 82 – 0 North Berwick RFC
Hallhill welcomed Dunbar and North Berwick for this latest East Region League game which also the Dale Trophy being competed for. High winds and cold conditions were on show as both teams took the field in front of a healthy touchline support.
Dunbar kicked off playing towards the clubhouse and Ross Charlton’s kick was mishandled by the visiting winger giving the home side an early opportunity. Possession was retained from the lineout, and the forwards drove towards to the line and the ball was transferred to Dan Martin who crashed over by the posts for an excellent start. Gregor Ronan duly converted, and Dunbar led 7 -0 after barely a minute’s play.
Dunbar forwards were next to threaten by putting the visiting scrum under extreme pressure and the backs utilised this possession to create another try scoring opportunity for Robbie Logan who was denied by the referee adjudging the final pass as forward.
The visitors relieved the pressure when an excellent touch finder saw them in the home twenty-two. Buoyed by a spell of possession good interplay saw them test the home defence but they were met with fierce tackling and counter-rucking resulting in penalties. The home side continued to invite pressure with a series of poor clearance kicks. After securing the ball from a lineout the North Berwick forwards again tested the home defence, and they were given a boost when Lochie Milne was pinged by the referee for a high tackle. Undeterred by this setback the home team redoubled their defensive efforts and began to dominate the breakdown resulting in a plethora of penalties. From one quickly taken penalty Ewan Patrizio showed considerable strength to beak clear and set Mike Wimbledon-Hall on a sprint for the line but a well timed inside pass to the supporting Ewan Patrizio who displayed excellent pace to score under the posts. A successful conversion followed, and Dunbar’s lead was fourteen points.
The home side were clearly in the ascendency, dominating both the scrum and the breakdown which allied to the visitors falling foul of the referee and from one such penalty the ball was moved up the blindside creating enough space for winger Sandy Graham to break through and score out wide. The conversion attempt drifted wide.
A loose kick ahead by the visitors afforded Kyle Gallacher an opportunity to break clear and the move only broke down as the referee deemed his inside pass to the supporting Lochie Milne as forward. The game continued at a frantic pace and there was fierce tackling on display from both sides. But it was the home side who sucked in the visiting fringe defence and a neat inside pass saw Ewan Patrizio given the space to poser over for his second and the team’s bonus point try. Gregor Ronan converted, and the home side led 26 – 0 at half-time.
North Berwick kicked off the second half, and the home side quickly encamped themselves in the visitors twenty—two and after a series of drives it was a grateful Ewan Patrizio who powered over for his third try. A successful conversion followed.
The visitors were struggling to contain the home sides power in the scrum, and it was the turn of Dan Martin to break clear from close range for his second try under the sticks. The conversion took the home team’s lead to forty points.
The onlooking spectators were being warmed by the incessant that the visitors were being put under and they increased their lead when Callum Harding went on a powerful surging run drawing in the last defender to pass inside to Dan Martin who strolled over for his own hat-trick try. The conversion sailed through taking the score to 47 – 0.
With the home team continuing to dominate the pressure of constant tackling saw the visitors begin to tire and suffer knocks. Dunbar continued to threaten and good slick passing saw Mike Wimbledon-Hall sidestep his way clear to score under the posts. An easy conversion took the score to 54 – 0.
A comedy of errors firstly saw a loose kick from North Berwick secured by Dunbar, but a loose inside pass saw the visiting centre regain possession and drive towards the home tryline only for the try to be denied by a knock-on whilst touching down.
Clearly rattled by this close call the home side found themselves in the home twenty-two and after a series of forward drives it was Jack Gabbatiss who drove over from close range only to be denied by the referee determining a double movement. To the home sides credit, they did not allow this no score to affect them and they were rewarded when good interplay between forwards and backs saw a grateful Callum Harding take the final pass and sprint clear to score under the posts. Gregor Ronan continued 100% second half conversions with the easy kick.
The beleaguered visitors continued to be stretched in defence by the continual onslaught of pressure from the home side and after excellent handling allowed Mike Wimbledon-Hall the room to sidestep his way over for his second try.
As the game headed for the last ten minutes there was no let up in the home team’s desire to keep up the pressure and after a touch finder saw a North Berwick lineout deep in their own twenty-two which resulted in an overthrow saw the home forwards secure the ball and it was Captain Callum Harding who was driven over from close range. A neat conversion utilising the gusty winds took the score to 75 – 0.
With full time imminent an excellent handling moves saw winger Fin Milne given the space to outsprint the covering defence to cruise in for Dunbar’s twelfth try. Gregor Ronan completed a fine afternoon slotting over an eleventh conversion.
Referee Andy Law blew for full time, and the home side had secured a record victory in the Dale Trophy series.
A dominant performance by the home side in testing conditions against a plucky visiting team who tackled their hearts out but were worn down by the incessant pressure that they were subjected to in the game.
A welcome return to winning ways and they now turn their focus to their visit to Cavalry Park to play Portobello RFC.
