Melrose 26 - 21 Currie

Published on 02/09/2012 03:15

Melrose showed their championship mettle by overcoming a paucity of possession to secure a sensational victory over a powerful and sharp Currie side, making it two from two for the Borderers, writes Alan Lorimer at the Greenyards.

It was a second successive blow for Currie, whose share of ball should have guaranteed a win. Their strong pack put enormous pressure on Melrose while behind the scrum the visitors’ midfield looked the more creative.

That was not enough, however, to snuff out the individual talent of full back Fraser Thomson, the influence later in the game of stand-off Andrew Skeen, and the instinctive handling skills of a club steeped in sevens rugby.

Currie led 7-3 at half time with a 40th minute try by scrum-half Richard Sneddon and the conversion by full back Adam Hinds to a penalty by centre Richard Mill. Mill’s second reduced Currie’s lead to just one point, but a wonderfully created try by Simeon James, converted by Hinds, gave Currie the advantage.

Then, a piece of brilliance by Thomson, whose solo try together with Skeen’s conversion, again dragged Melrose back into the game. They added a Skeen penalty and tries by Jamie Murray and Skeen himself, Currie earning a deserved bonus point with a late try by Mike Entwhistle and the conversion by Hinds.