Melrose v Selkirk - 22/8/26

Melrose v Selkirk – 22/8/26

With only three minutes of this pre-season “Friendly” match played Selkirk were awarded a penalty to the left of the posts, but, unfortunately for them, Ethan Wilson sliced his kick wide to the right and the score-keeper remained untroubled. On the ten-minute mark Melrose were awarded a free kick at a scrum 5 with the ball being passed right to Craig Fairbairn who crashed over for the initial try which Luke Townsend converted. At 19 minutes Melrose put in a rolling maul from a penalty lineout in the Policeman’s Corner with Logan Kirk scoring and Townsend converting. From a kick and chase from halfway, at 29 minutes, Finn Douglas flopped onto the bouncing ball to score with Townsend adding the extras.

Half time – Melrose 21 Selkirk 0.

Four minutes into the second half Finn Douglas raced down the far side passing inside to Ben Pickles who scored an unconverted try in the Church Corner. Three minutes later the move down the far side was repeated, but this time it was Callum Anderson who passed inside to Roly Brett whose score was converted by Townsend. Finn Douglas, at 61 minutes, chipped through to score in the Church Corner with Brett successfully taking over the conversion duties. Three minutes later Connor Spence received the ball just inside the Selkirk 22 and charged over into St. Mary’s Corner for a try which Brett converted. Selkirk put in a series of plays close to the Melrose line, at 70 minutes, with Gregor Payton evading the Melrose defence to score to the left of the posts with Cammy Easson converting.  With seven minutes remaining Kirk completed a penalty lineout rolling maul in the Church Corner with his second try to bring up the half-century with Brett completing the scoring with the conversion.

Melrose 54 Selkirk 7

Melrose – Callum Anderson, Connor Spence, Ben Pickles, Gavin Wood, Finn Douglas, Luke Townsend, Doug Crawford, Jack Dobie, Logan Kirk, Zen Szwagrzak, Sam Derrick, Angus Runciman©, Craig Fairbairn, Paddy Anderson, Ruairi Campbell. Replacements – Millar Anderson, Craig Greer, Angus Common, Christan Olesen, Henno Bowe, Scott Clark, Jaxson Douglas, Roly Brett, Charlie Robbie.

Selkirk – Blake Cullen, Cammy Easson, Andrew Grant-Suttie, Lachlan Ferguson, Robbie Macdonnell, Ethan Wilson, Oliver McClymont, Luke Pettie, Craig Cochrane, Bruce Riddell, Gregor Payton, Finlay Smith, Ross Nixon, Archie Morris, Kieran Westlake. Replacements – Keir Thomson, Shaun Macfarlane, Robbie Reilly, Cammy Forster, Liam Cassidy, Finn Mallin, Sam Coltherd, Alfie Lightfoot.

Referee – Shane Mansfield.  Assistants – Ronald Innes & Bob Nevins.