Melrose hit the ground running with an eight-try rout of rusty Watsonians

Melrose fulfilled the pundits’ predictions that they will again be a force to be reckoned with this season by revealing essential title-winning ingredients in demolishing a Watsonians side clearly in the pre-gel stage, writes Alan Lorimer.

Showing professionalism (or was it semi-professionalism), Melrose demonstrated impressive forward strength, good technique at the breakdown, aggressive defence and an ability to strike from any position on the park, the harvest of which was an eight-try tally, a bonus point, a useful 32 points difference in the bank and an early top-of-the-table position.

Melrose were particularly effective in their use of the maul. “We wanted to set our stall early doors in the forward battle and we definitely did that,” said coach Rob Chrystie. “We were very clinical in what we were doing and accurate for this time in the season.”

Individually, Fraser Thomson was stellar, the full-back scoring a hat-trick of tries for a Melrose career total of 100. His back-three colleagues Sam Pecqueur and Ross Mccann accounted for two further tries, while it was the forwards who bagged the other three – an individual effort from Grant Runciman, a cleverly created score from Ally Miller from Craig Jackson’s cross kick and, inevitably, a driving maul try for Russell Anderson.

Melrose would concede that they were aided by Watsonians’ indiscipline that resulted in back-row Angus Duckett and prop Kyle Whyte being carded in the 12th and 19th minutes.

“The yellow cards cost us 14 points. We were chasing the game from them on. We need to look at our discipline,” admitted Watsonians coach Steve Lawrie. Duckett, however, atoned with two tries, the other touchdown for Watsonians scored by the former Edinburgh outside back Mike Allen.

While this was a big defeat for Watsonians, the Myreside club will take encouragement from scoring three tries. What is needed for coach Lawrie and his charges is time to settle as a side and to work out how to use what could yet be an effective back line.