CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR

Melrose have set themselves up to play for the league and Cup double in the next few weekends as they stamp their authority all over club rugby and the Scottish game.

First comes the play-off final against Ayr for the Premiership title, swiftly followed by the BT Cup final at Murrayfield against Stirling County.

Melrose have swept all before them this season and it would be a brave man who bets against the Borderers making a clean sweep of the prizes.

Coach Rob Chrystie kept it simple after his team toughed it out in the Cup semi-final against the same tenacious Watsonians they had knocked out in the play-off semi the week before.

“Psychologically, after you lose a game, I think it can be easier to be ready for it and say: ‘That’s definitely not happening again’. This game was harder than last week for a number of reasons. The scoreline reflects that. We will dust ourselves down. We’ve got a final next week so we will move on and take it from there.”

Watsonians coach Steve Lawrie said Melrose is the kind of club that sets an example of what can be achieved by other clubs if they are ambitious and organised.

“What a job Rob has done at Melrose,” he said. “He has taken them to the next level this year. That is what everyone is aspiring to create and that’s what I want to create for

0 Mike Fedo and Rory Hutton of Watsonians combine to halt Ross Mccann’s progress.

“They had to have a baddayandwehadto have a really good day. It was close. We had our opportunities but we found ourselves wanting at key times”

STEVE LAWRIE Watsonians. This group will be a lot stronger for two semi finals.”

The score was close, closer