The Scotsman reports

Supporters of the Borders club have come to expect from their club a transfer of inherent sevens skills into fifteens rugby and certainly the flow of the Melrose game, at times, was impressive.

However, while Melrose can congratulate themselves on a healthy try haul they may reflect on a performance that had its flaws, most notably in finishing off scoring opportunities, albeit balanced by a solid shift in defence. 

"We missed a number of scores," noted Melrose coach, Craig Chalmers. "But what pleased me was the nil points on their scoresheet." 

That zero points tally was undoubtedly galling for Hawks whose display was worryingly poor, even allowing for the loss to injury of influential players, Dean Kelbrick at centre and Ross Miller, in the back row. For Melrose, young scrum-half Bruce Colvine, overlooked for the Scotland Under-20 squad last season, is now making an impact in the Premiership and could be a key player for a title-chasing and still strengthening side.

Scorers: Melrose: Tries: Dalziel, Colvine, Helps, Skeen, Miller. Cons: Skeen (5).

Melrose: F Thomson; C Hardie, J Murray, C Murray, J Helps; A Skeen, B Colvine; C Keen, R Ferguson, G Holborn, G Elder, R Miller, J Dalziel, G Runciman, G Dodds. Subs used: A Walker, K Cooney, P Eccles, S McCormick, B Dick.

Glasgow Hawks: C Gossman; T Steven, D Kelbrick, P Robinson, K Gossman; P Jericevich, K Hamilton; S Findlay, E Milligan, C Williamson, A Kirkland, R McKay, R Hamilton, S Lecky, R Miller. Subs used: P Henderson, J McFarlane, B Karalus, M Martin, S Murray.

Referee: C Rudkin.

This article was posted on 19-Sep-2011, 06:25 by Hugh Barrow.