Currie 32 - 32 Dundee HSFP: Honours even in ten-try thriller as Currie can't shake off Dundee

Two teams served up a thrill-a-minute match that ebbed and flowed dramatically before ultimately balancing itself out as each side scored five tries and came away with three points.

Twice defending champions Currie appeared to have surged far enough ahead, and twice Dundee came roaring back into contention so that, at the death, it was stand off Ali O'Connor's conversion attempt that might have snatched victory had it not drifted wide.

For Dundee it was a particularly keenly felt moment because the previous week against Stirling County they had scored five tries then lost the game to a last-minute penalty.

It would have been cruel on Currie to lose after their narrow defeat at Melrose in their opening fixture, but the draw was somehow an unsatisfactory outcome, greeted by the crowd at the final whistle with a kind of bemused silence.

Dundee coach Ian Rankin said: "A draw is the most frustrating of results but I have to admit that for the first ten minutes it looked like we were staring down the barrel of an embarrassing defeat. Everything was wrong: we were missing tackles and defending poorly but then you have to give the guys massive credit for turning it round.

"It is the fear factor when you come to Currie. We got the most terrible doing here last year when they were light years ahead of us so it is pleasing to have been able to match them this time."

From the kick off Currie cut through Dundee like a hot knife through butter for full back Johnny Smith to touch down in the first minute. Dundee did finally sort themselves out and full-back James Fleming kicked a penalty but a second try was inevitable and it came from a five-metre scrum when Ross Weston picked up at the back to feed new Kiwi winger Hayden Abercrombie for an easy run in.

A lot of players were finding space as the play went from end to end. Fleming got Dundee's second try and when Johnny Smith, otherwise safe under high balls all day, was caught ball-watching rather than going for the catch, Fraser Clark collected a kind bounce and passed to his fellow centre Harry Duthie for the try to put the visitors in front just before half-time.

There was still time for Dundee openside Rob Cessford to be yellow-carded for hands in the ruck once too often and for Abercrombie to chip over a simple penalty to make it 13-15 at half-time.

And it looked as if 14-man Dundee would stretch away as they scored a third try through winger Matt Smith within minutes of the break, but Currie clawed it back as they took a weakened scrum against the head, the first and only time in the match, and James Johnston sidestepped defenders to go under the posts.

Before Dundee were restored to full strength, Matthew Scott had got the bonus point try and put the home side back in front.When Weston crashed over for a fifth try the margin was 12 points and Dundee looked dead and buried.

But there was till 20 minutes to go and they weren't willing to give up, laying siege to the Currie line for more than five minutes and eventually finding a gap for Duthie to squeeze through. That score spooked Currie and inspired Dundee. Once again they camped in the home 22 and launched attack after attack with the clock ticking down. Currie tackled valiantly but eventually ran out of numbers and the Dundee replacement went over for the try to bring the teams even, but it was too far out on the left for the conversion.

Currie coach Ally Donaldson said: "We created enough chances in the first 20 minutes to win the game. Second-half again, we had the game won but then made so many mistakes and missed so many chances we let Dundee back into it.

"We played some good rugby but unless you finish them off they take confidence from staying in the game and might have sneaked it at the end there."

Currie Tries: J Smith, Abercrombie, Johnston, Scott, Weston. Cons: Abercrombie 2. Pen: Abercrombie.

Dundee Tries: Fleming, Duthie 2, M Smith, Morrison. Cons: Fleming, O'Connor. Pen: Fleming.

Currie: J Smith, H Abercrombie, J Johnston, M Scott, D Fife, A Binikos, R Snedden, J Cox, F Scott, A Hamilton, R Wilson, A Adam, J Thomson, M Entwhistle, R Weston. Replacements: N Scobie, R Merrilees, G.Temple, M Cairns, A Whittingham.

Dundee: J Fleming, M Smith, H Duthie, F Clark, A Hay, A O'Connor, A Dymock, N Dymock, S Forrest, A Brown, R Hawkins, A Linton, C Cumming, R Cessford, D Levison. Replacements: C Kerr, D Russell, R Milne, R Gray, J Urquhart.

Referee: J Mathew