Falkirk Rugby Club: Team go top of table after seeing off title rivals Lasswade 55-33 at Horne Park

Falkirk now have 36 points from eight games, level on points with Lasswade – who have played a game more – but ahead of the Bonnyrigg club on points difference.

After swiftly going 7-0 up via a third-minute penalty try, Falkirk soon doubled their advantage when Andrew McNab went over and Glen Faulds converted.

Although Lasswade pulled it back to 14-5 with a score, the hosts went 21-5 up when Glen Faulds went over the whitewash after a great run then duly added the extras.

Connor Faulds dived over for another converted try and it was 35-5 after 31 minutes when returning skipper Harry Russell – out since the first day of the season due to injury – marked his reintroduction at scrum half with a try which Glen Faulds converted.

Lasswade then managed a converted score to reduce their leeway to 35-12 at half-time.

Russell was yellow carded 10 minutes after the restart due to a ruck infringement, but a Glen Faulds penalty soon added a further three points to Falkirk’s total.

However, Stewart McCulloch’s yellow card then reduced the home team to 13 players and Lasswade took advantage to land a converted score.

After Russell returned to the fray, Lasswade went over and then added the extras for 38-26.

But the visitors then incurred a yellow card and Andy Gillespie's unconverted try made it 43-26 for Falkirk.

Although Lasswade pulled back to within 10 points with a converted score, two late Gregor Dodd tries for Falkirk – the first of which was converted – made the final score 55-33.

Falkirk RFC director of rugby Kenny Grieve told the Falkirk Herald: “We came out the blocks well, we were very focused, executing everything we wanted to do and playing the game at the pace they wanted to play at and they didn’t really have an answer to it.

"We were really, really good but the story of our season is that we then kind of took our foot off the pedal a wee bit, we gave away a number of penalties and allowed them back into the game.

"We were hit by a yellow card and a few other events which allowed them back in.

"With any team in this league, whether they are at the top or bottom, they will always get their period of dominance for 20 or 25 minutes.

"When we were down to 14 men they put us under a lot of pressure and we didn’t crack, but we gave away a few easy scores which is disappointing.

"But then once we regrouped, regathered and got ourselves organised again, we managed to push away.

"Something we need to work on is that full 80-minute performance as opposed to a cracking first half and then we kind of go to sleep or let a team back in for the first 20 minutes of the second half, although we tend to then pull away again.

"But if we get our game right then we’ve nothing to fear in this league.”

Falkirk continue their league campaign at home to Newton Stewart this Saturday with kick-off at 2pm.