Melrose celebrated a double success at the weekend with title wins at Kelso on Saturday and at Earlston yesterday both at the expense of Gala in two physical finals.
The brace of titles puts Melrose in second place in this season's Kings title race but such is Gala's lead that it seems the Greenyards men will be unlikely to retain their Sevens crown.
Yesterday at a wet Haugh in Earlston, Melrose struggled through the top half of the draw edging out Watsonians in the second round and then Jed-Forest in the first of the semi finals. For their part Gala had an easier passage through the first two rounds with wins over St Boswells and Kelso before having to find extra reserves to subdue a strong Hawick team in the second semi final.
Then for the second time in the space of twenty four hours Melrose and Gala faced each other in the final and in the event it was the greater physicality of Melrose and their more aggressive defence that proved the difference between the two sides.
Moreover the Melrose centre Austin Lockington found form at just the right time, the South African's pace and clever footwork creating two of the Melrose tries. Bizarrely all the Melrose points came from their playmaker Richard Mill who scored a hat-trick of tries, converted all of them and kicked a penalty goal.
Against a more organised Melrose side, Gala trailed 17-5 at the break, Gavin Young having scored their only try. But second half touchdowns from Graham Spiers and Fraser Hunter, both unconverted , brought the scores to 17-15. Gala, however, were unable to bridge the gap and it was left to Mill to sign off the final with his third try and conversion to give Melrose a sixth successive Earlston title.
Earlston Sevens Results : Jedforest 45 Edinburgh University 5, Selkirk 22 Edinburgh Accies 7, Watsonians 21 Hawick Harlequins 19, Melrose 45 Duns 5, Hawick 29 Peebles 5, Berwick 17 Earlston 7, Kelso 33 Lasswade 0, Gala 33 St Boswells 7 Second round Jed-Forest 21 Selkirk 5, Watsonians 19 Melrose 26, Hawick 45 Berwick 7, Kelso 0 Gala 28 Semi final Jed-Forest 19 Melrose 21, Hawick 12 Gala 17 Final Melrose 24 Gala 15
Melrose G Taylor, C Anderson, G Runciman, D Colvine, R Mill, A Lockington, L Mallin, G Dodds, G Wood, L Riddell
Gala S Cairns, G Graham, G Young, C Dods, D O'Hagan, G Spiers, J Parker, F Hunter, C Robertson, K Young
Referee C Rudkin (Hawick)
Kelso Sevens Results : First round : Melrose 43 Stewart's-Melville 0, Peebles 5 Kelso 19, Jed-Forest 54 Scottish Select 0, Edinburgh Accies 36 Langholm 0, 1st Scots 14 Hawick 24, Lasswade 0 Selkirk 45, Watsonians 27 Berwick 0, Gala 33 Edinburgh University 17 Second round Melrose 21 Kelso 14, Jed-Forest 15 Edinburgh Accies 34 , Hawick 26 Selkirk 14 Watsonians 12 Gala 19 Semi final Melrose 24 Edinburgh Accies 19, Hawick 12 Gala 33 Final Melrose 24 Gala 17
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