Melrose contributed to a successful weekend for Scottish rugby when they rallied from a 17-0 half-time deficit, with Andrew Skeen kicking a last-minute touchline conversion to secure victory over Bedford Blues in the British and Irish Cup.
Melrose contributed to a successful weekend for Scottish rugby when they rallied from a 17-0 half-time deficit, with Andrew Skeen kicking a last-minute touchline conversion to secure victory over Bedford Blues in the British and Irish Cup.
Melrose took time to adjust to the physical demands of playing against the part-time professionals but self-belief grew after the break and the Borderers produced a brand of rugby that had Blues, just two points off the top of the table in the English Championship, on the rack.
“We’ve been lacking a bit of hunger but it definitely snapped back today,” said Graham Dodds, the captain. “We perhaps gave them too much respect in the first half but having guys like Cammy Murray to bring off the bench was a big advantage. If we hadn’t scored early in the second half they would have ground out a win”.
Bedford started powerfully, producing early tries for the second-row Mike Howard and the left-wing Hendre Schmidt with a third coming from the full-back Mark Kohler as Melorose’s Nick Beavon sat in the sin-bin, .
However, any notion of a second-half repeat were quickly dispelled as Melrose, looking a transformed side, showed their attacking skills with a clever run by scrum-half Bruce Colvine from a tap penalty that all but brought a score for winger Joe Helps. But the Melrose forwards arrived in numbers to give hooker Alun Walker his side’s first try.
Melrose, growing in confidence, struck again when the flanker David Crawford took a pop pass from the centre Bruce Dick, Andrew Skeen adding the conversion to narrow Blues’ lead to just five points.
With nine minutes remaining it was Bedford’s turn to lose a player to the sin bin after their stand-off, Jamie Lennard, was shown the yellow card. Melrose then turned the screw and came desperately close to scoring when replacement Scott McCormick took a pass close to the line only to knock on.
Fellow replacement Scott Wight then put more pressure on Bedford with an astute kick that forced a scrum five. Melrose knocked on the hard- won possession but, at the ensuing scrum, they won the ball against the head, and it was Wight who laid on the scoring pass for Allan Dodds to squeeze in at the corner.
It remained for Skeen to add the conversion and, with the Greenyards silent, the stand-off put the ball between the posts for a famous victory.
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