Melrose pull clear of indisciplined Ayr
Melrose extended their lead in the BT Premiership title race by overcoming an Ayr side intent on self-destruction with a seeming addiction to coloured cards, writes Alan Lorimer.
Ayr ended the match with 13 men, flanker Will Bordill, having been dismissed 15 minutes before full-time after his second yellow card became an automatic red and stand-off Ross Curle following some ten minutes later.
“Our discipline cost us. We can get away with it against teams in the lower half of the league but when you come here it’s difficult,” said Ayr head coach Calum Forrester.
Bordill’s first act of indiscipline was a late tackle on Craig Jackson but, far from being unsettled by the delayed hit, the Melrose stand-off went on to stage an imperious performance, showing excellent distribution skills and deft touches with his accurate kicks over the defence.
Moreover, Jackson, whose cousin Ruaridh is a Scotland cap, was flawless off the tee, kicking five goals from five attempts for a 12-point contribution.
“Craig Jackson was outstanding today,” said Melrose head coach Rob Chrystie. “He’s surely put his hand up for the club international, although he’s not in the squad right now.”
Melrose were unlucky to lose their outstanding back row Neil Irvine-hess, who, apart from being the go-to man in the line-out, was ever present on the ball in loose play. Irvinehess sustained a concussion injury after an attempted tackle, but Melrose were scarcely weakened by his departure after Edinburgh professional Lewis Carmichael came on as the replacement for the back row.
Not that Ayr were without their pros. The Millbrae side fielded Scotland caps Adam Ashe and Pat Macarthur in their pack, making the contest, in Chrystie’s words, “a real physical game of rugby”.
Melrose made their physicality count when Ayr were shorthanded, by working two tries in the last quarter from what is an efficient rolling maul, hooker Russell Anderson and replacement prop Ruairi Mcleod the scorers.
But even before Ayr’s discipline imploded, Melrose looked winners and the manner of their opening try, triggered by Fraser Thomson’s decision to run a penalty from his own line and finished by Austin Lockington via passes from Jackson and George Taylor, suggested the confidence of potential champions.
Ayr, who had opened the scoring through a Ross Curle penalty, replied to the Lockington try with a sustained siege on the Melrose line that ended with skipper Pete Mccallum crashing over and Curle converting.
But that was Ayr’s final points as both indiscipline and Melrose strength dictated the outcome.
0 Melrose prop Ruairi Mcleod goes over for a late try against Ayr at the Greenyards. Stirling County overcame a sluggish start and a red card to complete the double over Gala at Netherdale and added a try bonus point to boost their Premiership hopes of even a top-four place, writes Atholl Innes.
It was a must-win for both sides and fortunes turned after the interval when Stirling brought on their pro players Nemia Kenatale and Langihaupeakui.thechanges could have gone sour when new signing American Haupeakui was shown a red card in the second half for a hefty tackle on Chris Keen, but Stirling lifted their game as Gala’s extra man did not appear to give the hosts the edge despite a quick try.
The tackle ended Keen’s involvement in the match, however, and he was stretchered off after attention on the field.
Coach Dave Adamson was delighted with Stirling’s performance and victory against the odds. “We concentrated a lot during the week on what our focus was to be, not just on the win, and I think the boys executed that very well,” he said.
“For our scrum to dominate was testament to what we did during the week. Maybe a topfour place is out of reach, but we will give it a good go.”
Glasgow coach Gregor Townsend watched the game, in which Stirling possessed dominant forwards and left Gala in an unenviable league position.
Gala controlled the early stages after Gregor Hunter kicked a penalty in three minutes before Gary Adams found himself in space and scored under the posts, Hunter converting.
Despite a try by Matt Donaldson from a scrum, Gala turned around 10-5 ahead at the interval.
However, the second half was a different story as tries by Haupeakui and Adam Sinclair in the space of three minutes changed the complexion of the contest.
George Lott’s quick reply try was countered by Hamilton Burr and, despite a late score by Ross Combe, Gala were left chasing the game as Johnny Hope found his kicking boots and Hunter converted two of Gala’s three tries.