Melrose v Hawick 22/3/25
Melrose v Hawick – 22/3/25
This Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership match was played on an unseasonably warm, but dull and still, afternoon. With eight minutes played Kirk Ford was wide with a penalty from two metres inside the Melrose half, but was successful in converting Andrew Mitchell’s try at the posts five minutes later. At 21 minutes Finn Douglas, who had only been on the pitch for a minute, received the ball on the right wing from Gareth Welsh, whose break had taken play down the right side, and scored an unconverted try in St. Mary’s Corner. At 26 minutes Nicky Little was yellow carded for a high tackle. Melrose took a scrum for the penalty and then were awarded another penalty. A scrum was taken again and from the base Will Ferrie scored and Keiran Clark converted. A minute later Donald Crawford broke up the far side and Morgan Gabe scored an unconverted try in the Policeman’s Corner. At 33 minutes Ford kicked a penalty to end the first half scoring.
Half time – Melrose 12 Hawick 15.
Two minutes into the second half, after a series of plays, Roly Brett scored under the posts with Clark converting. At 48 minutes Brett chipped through with Clark scoring the Melrose bonus point try in the Church Corner, his conversion attempt rebounding off the upright. Four minutes later Hawick pressed with the ball being passed from left to right with Lee Armstrong scoring in the Policeman’s Corner and Ford adding the extras. At the start of the final quarter, after a series of plays across the face of the posts, Mitchell scored the Hawick bonus point try in the Town Corner and Ford converted. From a penalty lineout rolling maul, at 36 minutes, Fraser Renwick scored in the Policeman’s Corner, Ford converting. Then, with no-side imminent, Gabe chipped the ball through with Clark scoring an unconverted try in the Church Corner.
Eclectic Coffee “Man of the Match” – Fraser Renwick (Hawick)
Melrose 29 Hawick 39
Melrose – Morgan Gabe, Connor Spence, Corey Goldsbrough, Declan Mulcahy, Keiran Clark, Roly Brett, Douglas Crawford, Jack Dobie, Logan Kirk, Zen Szwagrzak, Angus Weir, Angus Runciman©, Bruce Colvine, David Crawford, Will Ferrie. Replacements – Andrew Ceballos, Ben White, Robbie Robinson, Seb van der Sluis, Luke Townsend, Evan Davies, Donald Crawford.
Hawick – Kirk Ford, Matthew Reid, Andrew Mitchell, Lee Armstrong, Charlie Welsh, Kyle Brunton, Gareth Welsh, Shawn Muir©, Fraser Renwick, Nicky Little, Sam Frizzel, Hugh Donaldson, Russell Anderson, Marcus Brogan, Connor Sutherland. Replacements – Fergus Bell, Aiden Cannon, Matthew Atkinson, Will Donaldson, Grant Huggan, Cian Riddell, Finn Douglas.
Referee – David Young Assistants – Mary Pringle & Bob Nevins.
