Hawick 14 - 19 Melrose: Rose are thorn in Teri side

MELROSE hung on in a nail-biting Border derby at Mansfield Park yesterday to get back to winning ways, but there is still much tightening up to do by Craig Chalmers' side if they are to take on the look of genuine championship contenders.

Hawick had their noses in front for almost the entire first hour, their captain Bruce McNeil providing a terrific lead, Craig Charters marking his return to the side with fine line-out work and Stuart Hogg offering a lively presence in the back line.

It was an entertaining, end-to- end affair watched by a good Borders crowd, the new breakdown refereeing ensuring slick recycling and a good supply of ball for the backs. However, both sides cursed mistakes at crucial moments, dropped passes and poor options, which sucked the finish from fluent attacking play.

Melrose were the more composed and dangerous side, with John Dalziel and Ross Miller providing good forward momentum, full-back Fraser Thomson a constant attacking menace and Craig Jackson a lively threat, both at inside and outside centre, and it was no great surprise when they scored first.

Ben Allen finished off after 25 minutes, good continuity inside the Hawick 22 having tied defenders in, but the powerful Kiwi wing had to be alert at the other end two minutes later to intercept a pass from Stuart Hogg as Hawick hunted a quick reply.

Scott Wight, the Melrose fly-half, found the target with a penalty six minutes from half-time, but Hawick's work-rate and ambition with ball in hand was rewarded with their first try just before the interval. Danny Landels, the openside flanker, and lock Michael Robertson ran mazy lines into the Rose half and slick passing away from the ruck on the right caught the visitors flat-footed and Graham Hogg skipped through. He could have scored but passed to his younger brother Stuart for an easy run-in.

The elder Hogg then claimed a cheeky drop-goal, only for his side's defence to wilt as Graeme Dodds took them on and scored a good try. Wight then converted a 45-metre penalty and, after scintillating running from Rory Hutton and Jackson enlivened the crowd, the fly-half claimed a second to put some daylight between the sides with 15 minutes to go.

Both teams created chances in a thrilling and tense finale.Melrose's lineout imploded, John Dalziel should have been sin-binned after stopping a Greg Cottrell pass with his boot - the only real blip in referee James Mathew's otherwise sound game - and David Lowrie, the no8, sclaffed a penalty with Hutton nursing a knee injury.

But Melrose held off a furious assault, their defence ensuring a return to winning ways after the loss at Ayr, while the final whistle signalled the end of another brave but futile Teri bid for a first win back in Premier One. On this evidence, however, it cannot be far away.

Scorers: Hawick: Try: S Hogg. Pens: Hutton (2). Drop goal: G Hogg. Melrose: Tries: Allen, Dodds. Pens: Wight (3).

Hawick: N Renwick; G Johnstone, G Hogg, S Hogg, S Anderson; R Hutton, G Cottrell; B McNeil (capt), M Landels, S Linton, C Charters, M Robertson, N Mactaggart, D Landels, D Lowrie. Subs: J Coutts, K Davies, A Dunbar, L Gibson, A Marsh.

Melrose: F Thomson; C Anderson, J Murray, C Jackson, B Allen; S Wight (capt), R Chrystie; N Little, R Ferguson, G Holborn, G Dodds, G Elder, J Dalziel, G Runciman, R Miller. Subs: E Ford, K Cooney, S McCormick, W Mitchell, H Mitchell, Miller.

Referee: J Matthew.