Peebles 7s
Peebles Sevens – 3/8/24
The Melrose Sevens squad started the 2024/25 season as they finished the previous season – with a victory.
Pool “A” comprised Melrose, Watsonians and Edinburgh Accies. Watsonians were first up and were duly dispatched 29-0. Accies were up next and from the kick-off Rory Brogan took off up the pitch to score, then, from the re-start, Roly Brett scored in the corner to level the scores at 5 points each. Brogan scored again before Ross Cadzow scored and converted to give Accies a 17-5 lead at the break. Struan Hutchison received the ball out wide at the start of the second half to score an unconverted try, but Max Wallace scored a converted try to increase the Accies lead. From his own half Donald Crawford raced up the pitch to score a converted try, then, shortly after, he dotted down between the posts with Hutchison’s conversion tying the scores. From a penalty just before no-side Hamish Weir raced in for a try converted by Hutchison to give Melrose a 31-24 victory.
The semi-final was played against Kelso and straight away Connor Spence received a pass from Hutchison and score a converted try. Kelso then replied with a converted try by Robbie Tweedie between the posts levelling the score. Luke Townsend was the next scorer to give Melrose a 14-7 lead at the break. In the second half Robbie Tweedie chased a kick ahead to score an unconverted try in the corner to make it a 2-point game. Kelso pressed hard, but Dom Buckley knocked the ball on as he crossed the Melrose line and Melrose were awarded a defending scrum 5. From the scrum Melrose passed the ball back to Rory Brogan, an injury replacement borrowed from Edinburgh Accies for Harry Makowski, who raced the length of the pitch to score, with Hutchison’s conversion giving Melrose a 9-point victory.
The final, against Jed-Forest, who had defeated Orkney in the semi-final, was a tight affair in the first half. Donald Crawford out-ran Gregor Young down the flank to score an unconverted try. Then, just before the break, Wil Ferrie was shown a yellow card. Half time score was Melrose 5 Jed-Forest 0. With only six players on the pitch Melrose extended their lead with two tries by Douglas Crawford, the first being converted by Hutchison. Roly Brett increased the Melrose lead with a try converted by Hutchison to end the Melrose scoring. Jed then came back with Gregor Young, backing up, scoring a converted try at the posts before Robbie Shirra-Gibb streaked up the right side to end the scoring with an unconverted try.
Pool “A” – MELROSE 29 Watsonians 0; MELROSE 31 Edinburgh Accies 24; Watsonians 14 Edinburgh Accies 40.
Pool “B” – Kelso 22 Gala 0; Kelso 31 Biggar 15; Gala 14 Biggar 26.
Pool “C” – Peebles 26 Berwick 14; Peebles 17 Orkney 19; Berwick 15 Orkney 26.
Pool “D” – Hawick 7 Jed-Forest 26; Hawick 26 Selkirk 22; Jed-Forest 17 Selkirk 15.
Semi-finals – MELROSE 21 Kelso 12; Orkney 10 Jed—Forest 40.
Final – MELROSE 24 Jed-Foerst 12
MELROSE Squad – Will Ferrie, Hamish Weir, Craig Fairbairn, Connor Spence, Roly Brett, Matthew Klein, Scott Clark, Douglas Crawford, Luke Townsend, Struan Hutchison, Donald Crawford, Harry Makowski.