Graham Shiel admits Melrose seven good enough for Scotland

Scotland Sevens coach Graham Shiel has admitted that he would like to have had access to a number of the triumphant Melrose side for the IRB World Sevens Series had conditions been right. Shiel, who was captivated by the Melrose performance at their own sevens on Saturday, however, acknowledged that it was never a realistic possibility.

He said: "I would love to had some of the Melrose boys in the Scotland team earlier in the season, but the reality was that they were heavily involved in a very competitive club 15s programme, both in the Premiership and in the British and Irish Cup, and so it would have been very difficult for them to have done the intensive training required for international sevens.

"But there is no doubt that this Melrose team has the necessary skills. I was very impressed with Scott Wight's restart kicks and then John Dalziel's ability to win the ball from them. When you consider 25 per cent of all tries scored in international sevens stem from restart possession that is a hugely-important skill.

"But, in many ways, these players have grown up with sevens. They all come from either the Melrose area or other parts of the Borders, and that means they will have played sevens from a young age, including taking part in the Crichton Cup competition for primary schools."

Shiel believes the Melrose Sevens can only have inspired young players. He added: "Can someone tell me what is not good about a tournament like this? Look at what the players achieve in terms of development, of playing in front of a big crowd and of improving their own performance.

"But it's not just the Melrose tournament. This a hugely exciting time for what is a revamped Borders sevens circuit." Shiel, who has impressed in his first year in charge of Scotland sevens, is planning for the penultimate round of the IRB World Series at Twickenham on 21-22 May. Scotland have been drawn in pool C along with Series title holders, Samoa, Australia and Canada.

• Melrose Ladies followed the example of their male counterparts in claiming the first Gentleman's Cup, 128 years after the men lifted the Ladies Cup at the first Melrose Sevens.

The ladies team played a sevens match against Stirling County Ladies before the final of Saturday's tournament and emerged 41-12 winners and lifting the trophy put up through a collection of donations from the club's male members. This was in honour of the presentation of the now-famous Ladies Cup by ladies of Melrose for the very first sevens tournament in 1883. The men won their own sevens for only the 12th time in their history at the weekend.

• Denmark Viking and First Royal Scots are the two guest sides for this Saturday's Hawick Sevens at Mansfield Park, the third of ten tournaments counting towards the Kings of the Sevens.

The Vikings, who will contain most of the Denmark side that competes on the European circuit, have been drawn against Langholm in the second last tie of the first round, while First Royal Scots face Berwick in the top half of the draw.

Hawick draw

Melrose v Selkirk

Berwick v First Royal Scots

Kelso v Gala

Watsonians v Peebles

Hawick v Edinburgh Accies

West of Scotland v Stirling County

Denmark Vikings v Langholm

Jed-forest v Boroughmuir