Kirkcaldy have been a bit of a banana skin for Falkirk's 1st XV of late. Comfortable leads have been squandered along with valuable league points and our chances of cup progression. However, the home sides' excellent early season form continued on Saturday against a Blues side who despite a valiant 2nd half rally, never really threatened to spoil Stewart McCulloch's (Falkirk's double centurion) day.

Gregor Dodd opened the scoring almost immediately, collecting his own charge-down in the Kirkaldy 22 and then on 13 mins Erin Baisley finished off good Falkirk phase play to double the lead. On 21 minutes it became 21:0 when Dodd finished off another nice Falkirk move and it was starting to look ominous for the visitors when Callum Hunter took advantage of a McCulloch steal to secure the bonus point score a few minutes later. Hunter rounded off the 1st half scoring on 35 minutes, after what can only be described as some champagne rugby in the build up. HT 33-0 and one of the best halves of rugby from the Wheels in a couple of seasons.

The second half continued as the first had ended. Dodd showing the defence a clean pair of heels for his 3rd of the afternoon. But a yellow card for McCulloch, who to be fair was in the wrong place at the wrong time after a series of Falkirk infringements, led to Kirkcaldy opening their account. In 53 mins, still with the extra man advantage, visitors scored again after a successful kick and chase. However, with Falkirk back to full complement, Dodd scored his 4th of the day in the 68th minute. With only 5 minutes left, Falkirk completed the scoring with a lovely try; Faulds passing to Jamieson who offloaded to Hunter for his hat-trick.

On the adjacent pitch, the 2nd XV weren't having things quite so easy against Panmure. The squad has plenty of numbers at the moment, but is struggling in particular positions. Four forwards graced the backline this week, disrupting the sides' attacking cohesion. Another slow start didn't help, with Panmure scoring early on. Falkirk struggled to get possession, but some good go-forward from the pack plus Cammy McKenna's excellent kicking from hand kept them in the fight. However, injuries to Lewis McKay and Lochie Ellis either side of half time, allowed Panmure to gain more dominance and they made Falkirk pay. The match ended 21-49, with Falkirk's scores coming from McKay, McKenna and Naj.

Not for the first time this season, perhaps the result of the day belonged to the U18 boys, who travelled to Dalziel for their National Youth Cup tie and produced an outstanding all-round performance to win 59-7 and book their place in the next round of the competition (another away tie, this time at Selkirk).

Dalziel had already recorded a number of impressive results in the tournament and their support had high expectations on an ideal day for rugby, albeit with a stiff cross-field breeze occasionally testing both sides.

The opening exchanges were evenly contested as both sides demonstrated a willingness to play expansive, running rugby. But it was the defensive commitment from both teams that stood out, with strong tackling preventing either side from gaining significant advantage.

Falkirk eventually broke the deadlock after 18 minutes, crossing for the opening try and adding the conversion to establish a 7-0 lead. Despite conceding size to their opponents in the forward pack, Falkirk's scrum began to dominate and provide an excellent platform for attack. After a period of sustained pressure, an excellent turnover at the breakdown gave Falkirk another opportunity. Quick thinking and slick interplay between forwards and backs created the opening for a second try, although the conversion was narrowly missed.

As the first half progressed, Dalziel's supporters became increasingly vocal in their encouragement, but Falkirk remained composed. Capitalising on some defensive lapses from the home side, Falkirk added a third try before the break to take a commanding 17-0 lead into half-time.

The second half began much as the first had ended, with both sides producing some terrific carries and committed tackling. Dalziel enjoyed a strong spell of possession and pressure and were rewarded with their first score of the afternoon; a converted try reducing the deficit to 17-7.

Any hopes of a Dalziel comeback were quickly extinguished, however, as Falkirk's dominance at the scrum began to reap significant rewards. As the home pack tired, increasing amounts of space appeared across the field, and Falkirk's backs were quick to exploit it. Two tries in quick succession effectively put the contest beyond doubt.

One of the standout moments of the game came from excellent work by the Falkirk forwards, whose handling and support play created the opportunity for Marshall to release McWilliams into space. The second row needed no second invitation, sprinting 60 metres to score a superb try. Despite Dalziel continuing to play positively and looking to move the ball at every opportunity, Falkirk remained clinical, adding further scores to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

The try of the match arrived late in the game and showcased the confidence and skill running throughout the Falkirk side. Full-back McCusker fielded a difficult kick under immediate pressure from the chasing defence. Supported brilliantly by scrum-half Weir, a quick one-two exchange released McCusker into space. From there, he accelerated up the touchline to finish a memorable score that capped an excellent team performance.

The final whistle confirmed a comprehensive victory for Falkirk, whose combination of defensive resilience, scrum dominance and attacking flair proved too much for a determined Dalziel side. MoM for Falkirk was Nevis Weir for both his attacking qualities and an impressive defensive effort. FT Dalziel U18s 7 - 59 Falkirk U18s.

Not to be outdone, Falkirk's Women also continued their fine early season form at Perthshire on Sunday. Coming out with lots of energy and starting really well in attack, the women used their structure to move the ball wide, getting an early try. This pattern continued for the first 20 minutes before Falkirk became slightly less active and started giving away some silly penalties.

Despite this, the defence held strong for the vast majority of the match, with Perthshire only breaking through once. The penalty count was a disappointment and there are areas where the team know they could have been more accurate performed better, but the result was a comprehensive 5:86 away win, with Falkirk's scores coming from Aimee Hunter x3, Lois Cant x3, Molly McNairn x2, Ella Barclay, Morven Hylands, Libby Smith, Shannon Paterson, Sophie Robertson and Abbie Ledwidge, plus 8 conversions by Aimee Hunter.