THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS

Strong Scottish challenge expected at Melrose Sevens
DAVID FERGUSON
HAVING become famous for the colour and diversity it has brought to spring rugby in Scotland, the Cala Melrose Sevens is whetting the appetite of Scots hoping to see the first 'home win' in five years.

Defending champions Newcastle are back, as is customary at the Greenyards, and The Shimlas from the University of Free State in South Africa also return to add a touch of the glamorous. They struggled at last year's tournament, but look to have a better seven this time with good handling skills and speed, and, naturally, they will enjoy the hard ground produced by the recent glorious sunshine.

Currie Cup finalist, JW Jonker, is among a clutch of flyers, Springbok sevens prop Hanru Haupt adds strength and Dandre Gerber and Dries van Schalwyk will prove real handfuls. Oxford University are the other visiting students. They lost the Varsity Match this year to Cambridge, even with Joe Roff, the legendary Wallaby, as captain, and may be up for a heady Borders weekend. However, they are also talking up their determination to beat Melrose in their opener and be part of the latter stages.

However, the Scottish sides have all packed their teams with intriguing blends of experience, youth and that greatest of all sevens needs - raw pace. No Scottish club since the hosts, a decade ago, has added the Melrose Sevens title to the Division One championship, but Currie have their eyes on such a feat with their strong and pacy back rows Ross Weston, Jamie Taggart and Mark Cairns looking to dovetail with such skilful talents as Richard Snedden, Kevin McShane and Andy MacMahon.

Scotland's top clubs have also enjoyed something more akin to a sevens warm-up with the new laws of the recent Super Cup creating faster-paced, more fluid rugby. Watsonians emerged triumphant there, but Boroughmuir, who were the last Scottish side to triumph in this wonderful event, in 2002, also scored a bucketload of tries en route to the final, and both will be strong at the Greenyards.

Heriot's lost a pulsating final with Newcastle last year and, with Mark Lee and Apolosi Satala back from Army duty against the Barbarians, their opener with the Shimlas will be worth watching. Hawick, impressive winners at Gala last week, open against Langholm, but like Boroughmuir, Currie and Watsonians, will have to achieve success the hard way after being handed a preliminary tie.

This has been done before, but it takes terrific fitness and courage, especially on what is expected to be a warm day and fast pitch. Melrose have a good blend of experienced sevens stars such as Graeme Dodds and Alec Clark and youthful exuberance in Alec Jessop, Calum Anderson and Ross Ovens, who gave his father's 50th birthday celebrations a polite body-swerve last night, and they feature in the top half of what is a wide open draw.

The Ladies Cup has been adorned in recent times with great names from around the world - Sale, the Barbarians, Stellenbosch, Newcastle and Nawaka to name a few - but there are high hopes that the glamour of the visitors might be overcome this year by native talent.

MELROSE SEVENS
First round (first tie 12.45pm)

Ayr v Boroughmuir

Currie v Glasgow Hawks

Hawick v Langholm

Watsonians v Peebles

Second round (first tie 1.53pm)

Edinburgh Accies v Ayr or Boroughmuir

Melrose v Oxford University

Dundee v Currie or Glasgow Hawks

Aberdeen GR v Newcastle Falcons

Gala v Hawick or Langholm

Heriot's v The Shimlas

Kelso v Watsonians or Peebles

Selkirk v Jed-Forest

This article was posted on 14-Apr-2007, 07:38 by Hugh Barrow.