Memories of 'Grand Slam' revived as Melrose seek success on four fronts

Published on Monday 4 April 2011 18:27

SUCCESS might appear to be something of a standard at Melrose after a weekend in which they posted 69 points in their penultimate league match and coasted the Gala Sevens, but as the club puts the finishing touches to the Greenyards for its annual sevens tournament there is a strong message being hammered in that they have won nothing yet.

In fact, for all that Craig Chalmers' sides have been among the most competitive in Scottish rugby over the past few years, they have perennially come up short in the championship and savoured cup success just once in four final appearances in the past decade. The last time the age-old Border League trophy nestled in the Greenyards was in 2006 and the memory banks have to be scratched a bit further to recall the last Melrose Sevens success by the host club, back in 1998.

That is not to say these achievements, and the 'Kings of the Sevens' triumph, are not something to celebrate, but there is a sense of magic in the air. In season 1996-97 those four top titles came together in a unique domestic 'Grand Slam'. No-one had achieved the clean sweep of Division One, Scottish Cup, Border League and Melrose Sevens prior to that, the cup only being launched in 1995, and no-one has done so since.

But the stars are combining again with the potential for that to be repeated over the next three weeks. First-up is the sevens, on Saturday, then comes the Scottish Cup final at Murrayfield on 16 April, followed by their final league match, at home to Ayr on 23 April, and then, on Wednesday 27 April at Peebles, the Border League final. Should Gala beat Selkirk at Philiphaugh tonight the Maroons would be Melrose's Border League final opponents, but if Selkirk prevail they would keep alive hopes of facing Melrose in search of their fourth local triumph in a row.

Aged 30, Jamie Murray is one of the few players in the current Melrose squad who can recall the success of 1996-97 when, as a teenager playing rugby at Earlston High School and coming through Melrose's youth system he watched in awe at the exploits of a team being steered to success by the international half-back combination of Craig Chalmers and Bryan Redpath.

"I've got great memories of watching that team," he said.

"I came up through the midi section, played rugby all through school and the colts, and you were watching internationalists playing pretty much every week in the Melrose team at that stage.

"It was a great squad, lots of guys that played for each other with some good coaches, Rob Moffat and Jim Telfer before that.

"I remember particularly watching Craig (Chalmers] and Graham Shiel, because they were in the positions I was most interested in, but I remember guys like Robbie Brown, Andrew Redpath, Andrew Kerr."

One wonders what kind of pressure that put on youngsters filling these players' boots and what desire it generated in them to emulate those exploits? Murray, who has played for Melrose throughout the past 12 years, thinks for a moment before replying.

"That was the last season before everything really went professional in Scotland and there were a lot of changes after that. Most of those guys went to the Border Reivers and then Edinburgh Reivers, and that took a lot of Melrose players out of Melrose, so the club had to start again really.

"There's always a pressure there to try to follow that and as a youngster coming into the team after they had just gone, you wanted to try to keep that success going. But it was a different time.

"I enjoy playing under a bit of pressure and it comes with being part of this club. There is a pressure to win things, and all through my career I've wanted to live up to that expectation and there's no doubt that it is pushing everyone on this year."

Asked what the difference has been this season, Murray says: "It's been a bit of everything really. You have to be consistent, first of all if you're going to win a league championship. Sometimes we've had patches in the season where we've lost two or three games, and if you do that when other teams have been consistent when you get to the business end of the season you're playing catch-up and having to force things.

"I don't think we've done anything different this season but we recruited well last summer. Guys like Gary Holborn, the tighthead prop who joined us (from Jed-Forest] has made a difference for example.

"Being honest I'd say we probably haven't had a genuine tighthead prop for the best part of the past ten years, and a guy like Gary, who can anchor the scrum and give a platform for the back row forwards to play off, and the backs to play off, which can make a big difference."

One has to recognise that the 'Grand Slam' was an incredible achievement and the chances of it being repeated are slim, only because of the consistently good form now required over the space of an intense 19 days in different arenas, and the little matter of reigning South African club champions Hamilton returning to the Greenyards this week.

Murray is quick to acknowledge that. Each trophy has its own kudos, and most clubs would be happy with one of them, but the mantra is very much "one week at a time".

"It's a great position to be in and you always dream, of course, but you have to be realistic at the same time. It's in our hands but we've got to keep producing the results.

"The sevens is the focus this week and the guys are enthusiastic about that. It's always difficult if you're in XVs competitions and sevens, but it's our tournament this week and we'll put out as strong a ten as we can and try to win it," he added.x