Jed Sevens: Kings title for Melrose after extra-time thriller

And at the end of this gruelling but absorbing marathon it was Melrose who were crowned champions on the day and over the season after defeating Selkirk 38-33 in an intensely exciting final of the Jed-Forest tournament at Riverside Park yesterday.

It was surely the most exciting ending to the "Kings" competition and a fitting finale to the 125th anniversary of the historic Jed-Forest Sevens. Fitting, too, that it should be Selkirk and Melrose in the final, the two teams who have produced the quality sevens rugby this season and who were seemingly destined to slug it out in the fight for the title.

For Melrose, victory at Jed-Forest yesterday atoned hugely for the double disappointment of losing the Scottish Hydro Cup final to Ayr at Murrayfield and then the Borders League final to Selkirk at the Greenyards.

Yesterday it was again Selkirk who threatened to stand in the way of ultimate honours for Melrose and it all but looked as though the Philiphaugh club might succeed as they took an early lead with two tries from stand-off Ross Nixon, who had replaced the injured Gavin Craig.

But Melrose fought back with tries by Callum Anderson, Graham Dodds, and John Dalziel before Nixon completed a hat-trick to give Selkirk a 21-19 lead at the interval.

Lee Jones showed why he has been snapped up by Edinburgh with a fine individual try, quickly followed by a touchdown from Scott Hendrie to put Selkirk ahead by 33-19 and seemingly heading for the title. It was not to be, however, as the influential Dalziel crossed for a try and then James King, set to become an Edinburgh player next season, raced in to level the scores seconds before full time.

Sudden death it had to be. And it looked as though Melrose would kill off Selkirk's hopes with a burst by replacement Grant Runciman, only for Fraser Harkness, voted player of the tournament, to sink a trademark tackle. But it was delayed agony for Selkirk as Allan Dodds seized his chance to run in at the corner to provide glory for Melrose.

The Greenyards men had always looked winners, with comfortable wins over Edinburgh Accies and Peebles before demolishing hosts, Jed-Forest , in the semi-finals. By contrast, Selkirk were made to work in their semi-final by a Watsonians side that included schoolboys Chris Scott and Jack Ferguson before winning 31-26 to book their place in the final and share a piece of Borders history.

Results – First round: Watsonians 24 Gala 10, Hawick 33 Haddington 0, Hamilton 40 Langholm 12, Selkirk 33 Stewart's-Melville 12, Berwick 12 Peebles 26, Melrose 34, Edinburgh Accies 14, Boroughmuir 5 Jed Forest 21, Kelso 21 Heriot's 10.

Second round: Watsonians 31 Hawick 19, Hamilton 12 Selkirk 33, Peebles 12 Melrose 33, Jed Forest 17 Kelso 15.

Semi-finals: Watsonians 26 Selkirk 31 , Melrose 45 Jed Forest 0.

Final: Selkirk 33 Melrose 38.

Selkirk R Aglen, R Taylor, N Darling, F Harkness, R Nixon, S Hendrie, L Jones Subs used D Clapperton, C Marshall, M Cruickshank. Melrose J Dalziel, J King, G Dodds, C Jackson, S Wight, A Dodds, C Anderson. Subs used G Runciman, B Allen.

Kings of the Sevens:

1, Melrose 53 pts; 2, Selkirk 48; 3, Kelso 44; 4, Jed-Forest 44; 5, Hawick 29; 6, Watsonians 28.