Hawick v Melrose

Hawick v Melrose - 29/3/24

Friday night’s Border League clash between the top two teams in the League, to date, both of whom were understrength because of Saturday’s South of Scotland v Glasgow match and injuries, was played under the Mansfield floodlights on a still evening with a slippery pitch.

With five minutes played Matty Bertram followed up on a chip and chase down the far side to score in the right corner with Roly Brett converting well from the touch-line. Five minutes later Hawick won a penalty lineout in the left corner and from the rolling maul Russell Anderson scored an unconverted try. At 23 minutes Hawick exerted pressure with the ball crossing the pitch to Ryan Purves whose unconverted try gave Hawick the lead which they never lost. At 38 minutes, from a penalty lineout rolling maul on the right, the ball was passed left to Morgan Tait who scored an unconverted try to the left of the posts then, just on the interval, from a series of picks and drives, Ru Macleod scored almost in front of the posts with Bailey Donaldson’s attempted conversion being sliced right and not even reaching the height of the crossbar.

Half time - Hawick 20 Melrose 7

And then the rain came on!

There was a lot of huffing and puffing in the second half, but no serious action until 62 minutes when there was a typical Border local derby punch-up. Melrose were adjudged to have been the instigators and were penalised, but nothing came of it until three minutes later when they were penalised again. Hawick opted to kick at goal, but a change of kicker failed to give any more success as the ball rebounded off the upright. With five minutes remaining Cian Riddell was yellow carded, then, just on no-side Melrose were adjudged to have been held up over the line, so Hawick march on undefeated in this year’s Border League.

Hawick 20 Melrose 7

Hawick – Ryan Purves, Morgan Tait, Charlie Welsh, Bailey Donaldson, Ronan McKean, Kyle Brunton, Gareth Welsh, Thomas Hope, Russell Anderson, Ruaridh Macleod, Fraser Wilsoon, Hugh Donaldson, Stewart Graham©, Marcus Brogan, Sam Frizzel. Replacements – Liam Graham, Murray Renwick, Gary Lowrie, Glen Welsh, Deaglen Lightfoot, Cian Riddell, Eli Hamilton.

Melrose – Harry Makowski, Andrew Bradfield, Elliot Ruthven, Paddy Anderson, Matty Bertram, Roly Brett, Bruce Colvine, Will Owen, Logan Kirk, Andrew Kirk, Angus Runciman©, Thomas Brown, Dylan Cockburn, Will Ferrie, Lachlan Gaddie. Replacements – Robbie Robinson, Elliot Compton, Ali Renton, Angus Weir, Jack Wilks, Seb van der Sluis, Hamish Weir, Robin Sharp.

Referee – Steven Turnbull. Assistants – Sean Niven & John Feeney