Kelso v Melrose – 24/10/26
To counter the potential effects of Storm Boelo this Round 8 Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership match kicked off at 2.30pm instead of 3.00pm and although there was a fairly strong blustery breeze there was only minimal and intermittent drizzle and the sun shone for the last five minutes. Melrose kicked off with the wind at their backs, then, with six minutes played they surged right with Doug Crawford passing right to brother Donald who scored an unconverted try in the right corner. Six minutes later, from a penalty in mid-field, Kelso spread the ball wide to Hamish Tweedie who raced into the left corner for a try, also unconverted. Two minutes later, from a trip, Logan Kirk was yellow carded. At 23 minutes Kelso put in a series of picks and drives under the Melrose posts ending with Dan Gamble scoring and Archie Barbour converting. For an apparent lineout infringement, a minute later, Angus Runciman was shown a yellow card, but not long before he returned Melrose attacked and from a series of plays the ball went wide left to Gav Wood who scored with Luke Townsend’s conversion tying the scores. Ill-discipline and playing for 20 of the 40 minutes with only 14 players did not do Melrose aspiration of remaining at the top of the league any good and level scoring with the wind was not sufficient.
Half time – Kelso 12 Melrose 12.
Thirteen minutes into the second half, from a penalty lineout rolling maul in the right corner, Bruce McNeil scored an unconverted try. Six minutes later Ru Campbell ran a fine support line, following a Melrose series o0f plays, to score an unconverted try in the right corner to level the scores again. At 62 minutes Kelso won a lineout on the Melrose 22 with the maul advancing at speed to the Melrose line where McNeil scored to the right of the posts with Barbour converting. With 66 minutes played Connor Brown was yellow carded for a lineout offence and from the resulting penalty Jarrah Bell completed the lineout maul with an unconverted try in the right corner. From the kick-off Kelso retrieved the ball and with a fine passing move Hamish Tweedie scored his second, unconverted, try in the left corner. Barbour, at 75 minutes, punished more Melrose indiscipline by kicking a penalty to increase the Kelso lead to 8 points. The final nail in the Melrose coffin came with a minute remaining. Kelso won a scrum on the Melrose 10m line passing the ball wide right for Angus Utterson to score and Barbour convert to end the match.
Kelso 39 Melrose 22
Kelso – Liam Herdman, Angus Utterson, Adam Hall, Frankie Robson, Archie Barbour, Dwain Patterson, Will Tweedie, Nick Barnes, Euan Knox, Dan Gamble©, Gregor Law, Cammy Thomson, Bruce McNeil, Max Cranston, Harry Borthwick. Replacements – Haris Ross, Grant Shiells, Ryan Wilson, Cammy Brown, Nik Stingl, Euan Thomson, Hamish Tweedie.
Melrose – Callum Anderson, Charlie Robbie, Ben Pickles, Gav Wood, Donald Crawford, Luke Townsend, Doug Crawford, Jack Dobie, Logan Kirk, Zen Szwagrzak, Sam Derrick, Angus Runciman©, Craig Fairbairn, Paddy Anderson, Ru Campbell. Replacements – Robbie Robinson, Elliot Ruthven, Natale Frangione, Dylan Cockburn, Jarrah Bell, Scott Clark, Roly Brett.
Referee – Sam O’Neil-Thomson