Three new arrivals bagged tries on their first competitive outings for Melrose as they got their Booker Border League campaign underway with a victory on Saturday.


The current top-flight champions defeated Peebles 52-26 at the Greenyards in an entertaining encounter in the regional event with Lewis Mallin, who has joined from Kelso, getting two tries and Greg White (ex-Toulouse rugby league) and Andrew Nagle (ex-Jed-Forest) helping themselves to one try apiece.

The other tries for the home side came from two by Nick McGrath and single touchdowns by Grant Runciman and Bruce Colvine.

Peebles battled hard, though, and their four tries came through Neil Hogarth, Graham Hogarth, Connor Blyth and Guy Wearny.

Melrose begin their title defence in the RBS Premiership away to Stirling County on Saturday.

Hawick also got off to a winning start in the Booker Border League, winning 41-17 at Kelso.

Rory Hutton and Keith Davies both scored two tries for the visitors with Kieran Willison and Lee Armstrong also crossing.

On Friday night Gala and Selkirk had both recorded wins, over Hawick YM and Jed-Forest respectively.

Elsewhere, in pre-season action on Saturday, Heriot’s laid down a marker for the RBS Premiership season with a 70-14 thumping of local rivals
Watsonians.

Coaches Phil Smith and Steve Lawrie will have been happy with how clinical their side were at Goldenacre with their opener at Gala coming up this weekend.

Ayr came back from Blaydon with a 26-22 win, the physical encounter the perfect warm-up for a competitive season.

New arrival from Glasgow Hawks Dean Kelbrick grabbed one of the tries while Ross Doneghan, Ross Curle and Richard Dalgleish also scored, with Scotland under-20 man Finn Russell kicking three conversions.

Boroughmuir, Edinburgh Accies, Dundee HSFP and
Stirling County played in a round-robin event at Meggetland with all taking plus points out of the warm-up tournament.

Dundee HSFP won two of their three matches, against Edinburgh Accies and Boroughmuir, and head coach Ian Rankin used the 40-minute matches to have a look at Matthew Betty who is on trial from Gloucestershire. He did his chances of staying on Tayside no harm with a great try against Boroughmuir.

Aberdeen Grammar went down 27-24 to RBS National League side Glasgow Hawks at Old Anniesland, Mike Adamson among the try scorers for the hosts.

And on Friday night Currie went down to defeat by a strong Newcastle Falcons ‘A’/Academy side.

This article was posted on 20-Aug-2012, 07:09 by Hugh Barrow.