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Melrose take Border
League title, but Selkirk go down fighting
GIVEN all the blood, sweat and
tears it took to get Friday night’s final Border League match of the season actually played, both clubs deserve
credit for fulfilling their obligations when considerably under strength through injury. No-one can deny that Melrose
were the hungrier and
slicker team on the night, clinching their 10th Border League title as expected, but Selkirk certainly made the
home team fight all the way, and in particular can take heart from the gutsy displays of Youth Club duo Fraser
Harkness and Ryan Crockatt.
On a perfect evening for rugby, it wasn’t hard to see why the Greenyards has a reputation for being one of Scotland’s
most picturesque grounds. The Eildon Hills rose majestically against a bright blue sky, their lower slopes ablaze
with yellow gorse, while at the north end of the ground the gentle slopes above Gattonside were a patchwork of
green and ochre.
Not surprisingly, given the fact Selkirk’s last 15-a-side game was played on March 28th, the visitors were caught
cold by their title-chasing hosts, who went 15-0 ahead in the opening 19 minutes through tries by Scotland u-21
number eight Kelly Brown, Kiwi flier Geoff Caldwell and one of the stars of the night: 3rd XV tighthead prop Robbie
Robinson, whose bulldozing runs tied up at least three visiting defenders each time he got the ball.
Ironically Melrose’s fourth score - which sealed the championship by dint of securing a bonus point for the Greenyards
side - came after a 50-metre counter-attack launched by Selkirk’s Guy Blair (and carried on by David Cassidy) had
split the home defences and taken play deep into Melrose’s 22. However, a turnover allowed the home side to regroup,
and within minutes ex-Philiphaugh player Graham Thomson had touched down at the other end.
Thomson was involved in the next score, only this time it was Selkirk who put points on the board. A break up the
touchline by the scrum-half was halted by a cracking tackle, and when Thomson spilled the ball it was immediately
fly-hacked up the field by Selkirk wing Bruce ‘Jeep’ Armstrong, who gathered cleanly to dive over near the corner.
Just before the interval Laing Robson touched down for ‘Rose, putting them 29-5 ahead at the break.
Selkirk looked a different side in the second half, keeping their opponents on the back foot for the opening 10
minutes. This pressure was rewarded when Youth Club skipper Fraser Harkness - who emerged as one of the visitors’
most impressive performers - gathered a loose ball inside his own half, jinked past a couple of would-be tacklers,
before neatly chipping ahead, then picking up the ball to touch down under the posts. Blair converted to reduce
the deficit to 29-12.
Sadly this was to be the last time Selkirk would trouble the scoreboard boys, and tries by Steven Broom, Jonathan
Bradburn and Graham Shiel (playing his final game for Melrose before departing to Inverleith as player/coach for
Stewart’s/Melville FP) put the issue beyond doubt. Shiel had earlier added four conversions, and received the biggest
cheer of the night when he collected the Border League trophy from league president Alan Beveridge at the end of
the match.
Selkirk suffered a number of injuries during the contest, but luckily these were not as bad as at first feared.
Lock Neil Darling required four stitches in a cut above his left eye after a clash of heads with Robinson, while
Ryan Crockatt took a heavy bang on his nose at a restart kick, while Allen Jamieson was forced on to the sidelines
after taking a knock to the ear midway through the first half.
Next up for the majority of Friday night’s team is the club’s three-match tour to Canada. We wish all the players
and supporters a highly successful and enjoyable time. Go you Souters!
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MIND THE GAP. Selkirk
scrum-half Fraser Jack cuts between the Melrose centres in Friday night’s Border League match against Melrose at
the Greenyards.
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SELKIRK : D. Cassidy, N. Brown, M. Jaffray, D. Cassidy, A. Jamieson, G.
Blair, F. Jack, G. Ruthven, G. Rees, D. Lithgow, M. Barnett, N.
Darling, C. Forster, F. Stevenson, A. Heatlie. Replacements (all used):
J. Ross, B. Armstrong, M. McVie, C. Crockatt, E. Robbie, G. Jeffrey.
Referee: John Hogg (Hawick).
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