Aberdeen Grammar signed off their home fixtures in National League One with a nail-biting defeat against Gala, whose 29-28 win clinches fourth place in the league.
Tom Aplin, the Grammar captain, playing in his 100th game – and last home match – before hanging up his boots was gutted for his teammates, who had led 21-10 at half-time.
Aplin, who led from the front in the first half, scoring a try and converting all three of Grammar’s touchdowns, said: “The boys played so well in the first half, it was tough to lose that way.
“But we played well and then struggled to keep up in the second half. In the end, it was another one which got away – the story of our season.”
Aplin’s kicking to the corners troubled the Netherdale side, enabling his pack to bully the visitors. Mark Galloway and Sam Knudson chipped in with tries of their own to set up the possibility of the shock of the day.
All that was to change in the second half as the Bordesr side regrouped and started throwing the ball around at a pace the home side were unable to cope with, steadily erroding their lead.
Grammar’s response was a lone try from Ben Inglis, converted by Aplin, giving them a try bonus point to which they added another for being within one point of the Gala total.
But it was a defeat nevertheless.
There were emotional scenes at the end of the afternoon as senior players, including Aplin, Knudson and Inglis said their fond farewells to Rubislaw, while the young talent in the team, like Galloway and Ben Renton can look forward to bringing back National League One rugby in most likely the company of deadly city rivals Gordonians.
Grammar complete their frustrating campaign in Edinburgh next week when opponents Watsonians need to win with a try bonus to avoid joining Grammar and Stewart’s Melville in National League Two next term.
One more win needed for champions-elect Gordonians
In the meantime, up at Countesswells, Gordonians were getting their promotion bid back on track.
An astonishing 107-14 win over Greenock Wanderers means the GoGos need only one more win from their three remaining games to be National League Three champions.
The next two at home against Strathmore and Murrayfield Wanderers should yield sufficient points to see them home before a trip to Orkney on May 6.
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