Saturday 31st October 2009

Melrose 35 v 13 Boroughmuir

Reporter: Simon Furnivall

‘I thought we really quite badly underperformed, our consistency seems to be really lacking at the moment. I think some of it’s concentration, but we’re making a lot of mistakes out there that we wouldn’t usually make.’ Those were the damning words of Boroughmuir centre Malcolm Clapperton, standing in as captain for the injured Euan Matheson, after his side had crashed to a defeat at the Greenyards which, at times, threatened to become embarrassing. 

By full time Melrose had run in six tries, passed up opportunities for a couple more (and missed sixteen points in kicks) whilst ’Muir were reduced to playing almost 7s rugby in the closing moments as they looked to eek some measure of respectability back into the scoreline.

From the off the match was full of endeavour from both sides, but distinctly lacking in quality as the error count just kept rising and rising. On a beautiful day in the Borders which encouraged the running rugby that both teams like to play, they each set their marker down early, storming through weak tackles in a series of attack and counter attack which had the fans entertained for the first ten minutes.

With Scott Wight missing at fly-half, Melrose were lacking any real game control, though they probably had the better of both possession and territory. Nineteen year-old Bruce Dick had taken Wight’s place in the side, and his nerves probably weren’t helped by two early penalty misses, one pushed right of the posts, the other hooked left.

Boroughmuir were looking to attack fast and hard, spreading the ball wide quickly, and they made a good line break through Greg Cottrell, the fly-half stepping inside two players and popping up a pass as he went to ground just ten metres short of the line. Unfortunately, and not for the last time, the pass was dropped and Melrose were given a chance to clear.

The hosts got themselves on the front foot when Elgan O’Donnell had his clearing kick charged down and centre Jamie Murray gathered to start the attack. They kept possession through a number of phases and put further pressure on the ’Muir line when Dick kicked well into the corner, forcing Calum Cusiter to clear into touch.

It was during this period that Dick missed his two penalty attempts, but they soon had themselves back on the front foot, a superb chip and chase from full back Fraser Thomson providing the platform, and when John Dalziel’s pass found Callum Anderson in space on the right wing, a try looked certain. A great covering tackle from James Fish ensured that Anderson was held up over the line, but it proved to be only delaying the inevitable, as after James King had come within inches of grounding the ball on the line, Dalziel picked up and drove over from short range. Dick added the conversion.

A superb penalty from O’Donnell, wide out on the right wing, brought Boroughmuir their first points of the match as the half wore down, but the last thing they could afford was to let Melrose in again before the break. That, amidst a desperate sense of inevitability, was exactly what happened, and it was a try of painful simplicity, Thomson’s run into the line from full back making the extra man and Anderson taking advantage of the extra space to run in for the score. Dick couldn’t add the extras this time, but his side had a nine point lead to protect in the second half.

Boroughmuir knew they needed the next score and whenever they had (and kept) the ball they made ground into the Melrose defence. Their problem was that all too often they coughed up possession, and none more critical then when Fergus Pringle’s pass to Shaun McMurchy was grounded just inside his own half. Melrose sniffed an opportunity straight away, and James King burst down the left wing, eventually brought down ten metres from the line. The ball was recycled and Craig Jackson, in off his wing, kicked crossfield for the corner, forcing Rob Cairns to go down on the ball just in front of his own line. The Boroughmuir support wasn’t quick enough to their winger’s aid, however, and Dalziel ripped the ball from his grasp and fell over the line for his second score.

More than ever Boroughmuir needed an answer, and finally they found one through their forwards. Throughout the game the ’Muir eight had had the upper hand in the scrum, and they were beginning to see that advantage spill over into their mauling game. Having won a lineout on the right wing, inside the Melrose twenty-two, there was no question as to what they were going to attempt, Greig Scott claiming clean ball at the front and his fellow forwards piling in, a superb driving effort ending with hooker McMurchy touching down for the score. O’Donnell’s conversion attempt flashed across the posts, meaning the deficit stayed at nine points.

With the game back in the balance, Boroughmuir needed to keep a calm head and exploit their forward advantage, but instead they lost what little composure they had gained, too often trying to play rugby from too deep, instead simply playing themselves into trouble. Melrose were ready to pounce, and almost did when Jamie Murray snaffled a dropped ball from replacement prop Nick Fraser, but his final pass to Jackson went forward.

From the scrum, however, Boroughmuir, looking for a better angle to put in a clearing kick, played themselves so deep into trouble that Clapperton was forced to touch down over his own line and concede  a five metre scrum. Melrose attacked down the blind side and prop Richard Higgins emerged with the ball, claiming the try which again went unconverted despite Jackson having taken over the kicking duties.

Melrose were going for the kill now and Jackson extended their lead with a penalty before they were gifted their fifth try. Having taken a pass just inside his own twenty-two, Cottrell attempted a chip over the Melrose defence, instead landing it perfectly into the hands of Jamie Murray, the centre sending a pass out to Jackson for the winger to run in unchallenged. A sixth and final score soon arrived, Thomson – the outstanding player on the field – again the architect with a superb run from full back, and just a few phases later King stepped between two ’Muir forwards and dived over the line.

There was the real danger now that Melrose could run away in what was remaining of the game and stack up a cricket score, but Boroughmuir should be given credit for fighting to the end, and they claimed a second try late on, another devastating maul taking them over the Melrose line for McMurchy to touch down.

It was, however, scant consolation in a game that had gone badly wrong from a Boroughmuir perspective. Having scrapped for a win over Dundee last week, they were looking to build momentum going into a series of games against teams around them in the bottom half of the table, but the inconsistency that has plagued the side since they clinched the title in Ayr in January 2008 struck again. On their day they are capable of playing some blinding rugby, and the strength of their pack this season can certainly stand up to any other in the league, but it’s all about points on the board, and so far this season, that’s something Boroughmuir simply haven’t had enough of.

Boroughmuir : Elgan O'Donnell: Tom Bury, Malcolm Clapperton (c), James Fish, Rob Cairns: Greg Cottrell, Calum Cusiter: Freddie Lait, Shaun McMurchy Justin Va'a: Greig Scott, Fergus Pringle, Mike Stalley: Lynton Brinck, Joni Hare. Subs Used: Nick Fraser, Cammy Orr, Greg Jones, Mark Hare, Graeme Blackhall

Match Photos