Duns 30-6 Strathendrick: Hutchison proves unstoppable as Duns power to Bowl triumph

Duns winger David Hutchison will still be coming back down to earth this morning after he bagged a hat-trick of tries to lead the Borders club to victory in the Regional Bowl final on Saturday.

You often hear people talking about big-game nerves, but there was certainly none on show from Duns as they put in a superb first half showing to set them on their way to defeating Strathendrick.

Twenty-one-year-old Hutchison finished all of his tries well to put the game out of sight by half-time and he said: "It is just an amazing feeling to score three tries in a big match like this.

"We played really well in the first half and to have won the East One title and now the Regional Bowl final means it has been a great season for us and hopefully we can push on next year."

Duns vice-captain Jamie Renton added: "I was really pleased with the way that we came out of the blocks firing. The guys had trained well during the week and we really took it to Strathendrick.

"Us forwards have known all season that we have some really good pace out wide and guys that will score tries given half a chance, and the two wingers showed that today.

"The way the club has come on in the last three or four years is really great. Back then, we were struggling in terms of numbers at training, but now we can field a second XV and things are looking up."

Duns never let Strathendrick settle in the match and just after the 15-minute mark they had already built up a 17-3 lead. Their early points came from a well-worked try finished by winger Ryan Selkirk and two Hutchison scores, the first one coming courtesy of a good bounce after a speculative kick by captain Dale Robertson.

By the interval it was 25-6, Hutchison getting try number three to make it 30 for the campaign. Stand-off Sam Greenock had kicked two penalties for Strathendrick.

If the first half had been 100 miles an hour, then the second saw proceedings slowed down to a canter.

The only points after the break came two minutes from time when Duns replacement Dane Ivison crossed the line for a try.

Hutchison and centre Scott Lindsay were the best players on the day for Duns, while Renton and his back-row mates Chris Blaikie and Russell Nimmo were also effective.

Strathendrick never really got going and will now be focused on securing the West One title in the coming weeks.

Their key man was always likely to Rory Kerr, the ex-Scotland man in the centre, but he never saw much of the ball and, when he did, he was marshalled superbly by the Duns defence.

In defeat, No.8 Ewan Mackay put in a good shift, as did teenage second-row Ruairidh Clark.

Scorers: Duns: Tries: Selkirk, Hutchison 3, Ivison. Pen: Robertson. Con: Robertson. Strathendrick: Pens: Greenock 2.

Duns: D Robertson; R Selkirk, K Aitchison, S Lindsay, D Hutchinson; G Lamb, D Lamb; S McCraw, C Hill, A Auld, J Thorburn, J Weir, J Renton, R Nimmo, C Blaikie. Subs used: C Archer, B Hamilton, C Tait, S Blyth, D Ivison, S Cooke.

Strathendrick: S Bastock; D Porteous, R Kerr, J Cuthbertson, R McLaughlin; S Greenock, P Bastock; D Spence, S Forsyth, S Cuthbertson, R Clark, D McEwen, G Scott, E Mackay, J Ogilvie. Subs used: M Scott, D McGuffie, W Kay, D MacDonald, K Campbell.

Referee: M Hay.