Melrose up the ante for title push

The Millbrae side stung the Borderers at Murrayfield with a repeat of their final success from the previous year and crushed Melrose's hopes of a rare league and cup double. John Dalziel, the Melrose player-coach, revealed how he and coach Craig Chalmers watched the video of the cup final and then put the players through the same torment.

"We only had to watch the first 27 minutes really to see why we lost it," he explained. "On the field it actually felt like we weren't playing too badly, but watching on the video we were not doing the things that make us tick at all.

"Credit to Ayr for the work they did at the breakdown, but we didn't show the urgency we expect and we suffered for it. After watching the video, Craig opened up the floor to the boys to make comments and we had a good honest session, with a bit of finger-pointing. Then we went out and trained the best we have for some time.

"We had a good, full-on live session with the 2nds last night (Thursday], and there were fists flying, but that was good because Ayr will be hugely physical again this weekend. I didn't realise until this week that they hadn't won at Melrose, but things like that just spur them on.

"They know how to win big games and have shown that in the last few seasons, and we have to learn from that. We know we have the ability but we need to show we have the same mental toughness to win under pressure."

Dalziel touched on a key area, the breakdown, and while both sides have good half-backs and back three attackers, the battle between Ayr's three flankers in the back row, Robbie Colhoun, Paul Burke and Andy Dunlop, and the more traditional Melrose blend of Dalziel, Grant Runciman and Graeme Dodds, could be the decisive factor in the game.

Melrose, unbeaten at the Greenyards in the league and cup, need only win or draw to lift the trophy today, but Ayr now believe they have the measure of the Borderers.

Their coach Kenny Murray said: "People have spoken about how Melrose didn't play well last week, but a team can only play as well as they're allowed to.

"We targeted areas we thought they were weak in, and you know that you have to close down the time and space guys like John Dalziel and Fraser Thomson have, so we'll be doing that again and looking to dominate the set-piece and stopping their ball at source. But we've seen other areas in their defence that we believe we can target this time, so we'll be looking to play our game on the front foot.

"It's not been easy this week because the guys were on such a high after the cup final win that we had to work a bit to bring them back to earth. I've never seen them as tired as they were after the game, with the game itself and all the emotion around it I think, so we've had a less intense week as preparation and I'm hoping that will mean we're fresh again for a cracking game at Melrose."

It is a pity that the season has been so disrupted after a bright opening two months, but it has the makings of a stunning finale. Ayr are expecting to have several hundred supporters at the Greenyards and so there should be a great atmosphere on what is forecast to be a warm and sunny day.

Melrose have selected Cammie Murray at inside centre and Hayden Mitchell in the second row to add experience and ballast to the early exchanges, with Glasgow's David McCall on the bench, while Ayr have their professional hooker Pat McArthur back from Glasgow duty.

Dalziel, now 33 and planning to continue his career next season, added: "There was maybe a bit of complacency last weekend with our fourth final in a row and maybe not having the same freshness as when you're there for the first or second time, but if it was there it's gone now.

"All the boys know it is 14 years since the championship was last won by Melrose, which means it can pass by some players' careers, and we don't want that to happen to us. I have played for Melrose for eight seasons and we've been close, but not as close as this.

"We've got ourselves into this position and it's all down to us in this last game to go and win the league. You don't get given it. You have to earn it and that's what we intend to do."

Glasgow Hawks face Currie at Old Anniesland this afternoon with both sides vying with Ayr for the top three spots and places in next season's British and Irish Cup. But Currie know that if Ayr prevail and Melrose fail to garner a losing bonus point today, they are still in it. A bonus-point win for them at Hawks and a repeat at Ayr next weekend would then keep the trophy tucked up at Malleny Park.

Much to play for.

Melrose (v Ayr at the Greenyards, 3pm): F Thomson; C Anderson, J Murray, C Murray, A Dodds; S Wight (capt), R Chrystie; N Beavon, W Mitchell, G Holborn, G Elder, H Mitchell, J Dalziel, G Runciman, G Dodds. Subs: G Innes, N Little, R Miller, B Colvine, J Helps, D McCall.

Ayr: G Anderson; S Manning, M Bennett, M Stewart, C Taylor; R Curle, AJ McFarlane; G Reid, P McArthur, G Sykes, S Sutherland, D Kelly (capt), R Colhoun, P Burke, A Dunlop. Subs: S Fenwick, A Kelly, D Stewart, G Tippett, R McCallum.

Glasgow Hawks (v Currie at Old Anniesland, 3pm): C Gossman; R Hair, D Kelbrick, T Preece, K Gossman; P Jericevich, K Hamilton; A Smith, E Milligan, G Strain, R Hamilton, N Campbell, R McKay (capt), B Karalus, G Strang. Subs: N Nyemba, G Hunter, R Miller, S Murray, T Steven.

Currie: T Brown; A Turnbull, H Abercrombie, A MacMahon, J Johnston; M Scott, R Snedden; J Cox, F Gillies, A Hamilton, R Wilson, A Adam (capt), S Burton, M Entwhistle, R Weston. Subs: A Walker, R Merrilees, AN Other, G Temple, A Binikos.