Greens put on premier display against leaders

HAWICK MELROSE MARR STIRLING COUNTY 38

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Hawick’s head coach George Graham will now start planning for another season in the Premiership after an amazing winatmansfieldparktosecure the club’s place in the top division, writes Atholl Innes.

Graham, who signed a new contract last week to stay at Hawick, watched with pride as his players swept aside a depleted Melrose team with six tries.

His side turned on the heat when it mattered most against the Premiership leaders, who had seven players in the Scotland Club XV squad against Ireland less than 24 hours earlier.

Graham admitted that gave

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So it’s goodbye to Marr, who, in spite of this magnificent winning effort, return to National League 1, but they went down with all guns blazing defiantly, writes Matt Vallance.

“We did our job today, I am proud of the boys, but this was a hard one to take, because at the end of the day, we are relegated and that has left me his team an advantage, but was no fault of his own side, for whom only Shawn Muir was in action the previous night.

“The win was not about performance, but the result,” he said. “I told the boys not to worry about what was happening elsewhere for we were in control of our own destiny. I am not stupid enough not to know that Melrose did not have their strongest team, but it is just the way things happen.

“We have not had a lot of luck over the season, but these things come back to help you and we got the result that mattered. It was not the strongest team we could have faced, but you make your own luck.”

Melrose officials expressed disappointment as they left the ground, but vowed that a strong side would have made a huge difference. They played hugely disappointed,” said Marr coach Craig Redpath, who had just witnessed his side giving one of their best displays of the season.

Graham Young, standing in for Pete Jericevich, who was on Women’s XV duty in Italy, was equally happy in defeat. “Marr’s set-piece was awesome, but we learned lessons, defended well and I have a lot to be happy with – we now move on to prepare for our cup semi-final with Melrose, but days like today are good experience

0 Pro player Allan Dell scored Hawick’s first try before the break. with the advantage of a strong wind and heavy snow showers to take the lead with a Jason Baggott penalty, but after Hawick, with the inclusion of two pro players in Edinburgh duo Allan Dell and Darcy Graham, pulled ahead with a Dell try before half-time, there was only one team in it. for our youngsters,” he added.

The game ebbed and flowed – Jonny Hope kicking County ahead, Ross Miller replying off a driven maul, before man of the match Greg Peterson, whose performance matched his stature, sent Greg Jackson over and Rory Mcgee converted.

However, a Hamilton Burr try, converted by Hope, made it 12-10 to Marr at the break.

Conor Bickerstaff stretched Marr’s lead with a superb try

Hawick dominated the second half with tries from Greg Cottrell, Nicki Little, Dell again, Bruce Mcneil and Dom Buckley, with conversions by Lee Armstrong and Matt Landels, playing his final match before retiring, while Melrose rung the changeswithout threatening the home line. in the corner, only for Hope to send Craig Robertson through a huge gap for a try which Hope converted: all-square at 17-17, with half an hour left.

Then, the Marr pack, rallying round Peterson and Ross Miller, took over. Their pressure earned a penalty try, before Mcgee kicked Marr home with a late penalty.

Kudos too to referee Steve Turnbull, who kept things flowing, and pulled off the catch of the day when he fielded a ball prior to a penalty.