Melrose start on the front foot to beat Ayr in Charity Shield thriller

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A new season, but, with the SRU Charity Shield up for grabs, the same-old from Scotland’s top two club sides – 80 minutes of non-stop excitement, action and 11 tries.

Few of the other Premiership clubs can match the (semi)professionalism of these two, which is why the likes of manof-the-match Neil Irvine-hess, pictured, of Melrose, enjoys these games so much.

“You know you will be tested here more than in other game. It’s tough on the pitch, but there is mutual respect there,” he said.

Truthwas,melrose,whowon the try count 7-4, were ahead of Ayr in preparation and it showed. “We’ve got things to work on this week before Boroughmuir but I got some pluses too, not least from how well our younger players performed,” said a not-too-disappointed Ayr coach Calum Forrester.

Opposite number Robin Chrystie was delighted with the outcome and he took pleasure in how his lesser lights rose to the challenge at Millbrae.

Melrose were more clinical, particularly after Frazier Climo was yellow-carded for what Sam Grove-white ruled a deliberate trysaving knock-on. Ayr never could makeup the 19-points they shipped when shorthanded. However, nothing could detract from Irvine-hess’s work at the breakdown and at the touchlines, while ‘Rose’s seventh try, sparked by Fras- er Thomson running out of his own 22, was a thing of beauty. Adam Prentice, Rob Mcalpine and Blair Macpherson (two) got the Ayr tries, with Climo kicking three conversions and two penalties. Richard Ferguson, Fraser Thomson, Ross Mccann (two), Nick Beavon, Sam Pecquer and a penalty try, plus a penalty and a conversion from Ben Chalmers and a Jason Baggot conversion accounted for the victors’ points.