Currie 24- 15 Melrose: Adam Hastings puts on a show

The rugby pedigree of '¨Glasgow pro Adam Hastings shone brightly on a dull afternoon as he scored twice in Currie's well-deserved bonus-point victory over the league leaders who were beaten for only the second time this season.
Adam Hastings touched down twice for Currie against Melrose. Picture: SNS/SRU.Adam Hastings touched down twice for Currie against Melrose. Picture: SNS/SRU.
Adam Hastings touched down twice for Currie against Melrose. Picture: SNS/SRU.

By the end of the afternoon the margin was still an intimidating 11 points but Melrose have now shown they are far from invincible as they left empty-handed.

Currie welcomed the visitors with a try within three minutes when first winger Cammy Gray came in at an angle to make a big dent in the Melrose defence before the ball was recycled and this time full-back Hastings, pictured, 
found the angle and the score. Stand-off Jamie Forbes converted.

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Melrose went to the other end and it was the other full-back, Craig Jackson, who went over in the corner for their first try.

The teams cancelled each other out until Melrose No.8 Ian Moody burst into space but his fellow back row Neil Irvine-Hess couldn’t hold on to the pass.

But it created field position for a forward drive from which prop Grant Sheils muscled his way over from close range. Jackson got the conversion.

Currie responded instantly at the other end but knocked on as they crossed the line. Melrose hacked the ball clear and an untidy chase with shoving and shirt-pulling ended with a penalty to the home side on 
their own 22.

The first half closed with the Chieftains on the attack and Melrose soaking up the pressure until scrum-half Charlie Sheils picked up at the rear of a ruck and slipped through a gap to touch down behind the posts. Forbes converted to make it 14-12 at half-time.

Currie went further ahead immediately after the break when a ferocious attack delivered the ball to Hastings and he ran the final 20 metres fighting off the tacklers who couldn’t bring him down until it was too late.

Jackson pegged back the home team with a 25-metre penalty for a high tackle but Currie stayed on the front foot with Forbes and Hastings swopping positions and looking the more lively side with ball in hand as the game opened 
out and went into the final quarter.

But it was Melrose who put on the squeeze, using their pack to make short territory gains before going wide.

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The Currie defence stayed firm against the onslaught and broke out for another Glasgow pro, Richie Vernon, to outpace Melrose defenders and score the bonus-point try.

The final insult for Melrose came at the end as Jackson’s penalty attempt to rescue a bonus point came back off the post.

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