Jedburgh Sevens
IN keeping with the weather, the rugby at the Tennents Jed Sevens was glorious one moment, then dreich the next. That Kelso retained the cup for the fourth season in succession was due to three Houdini-like performances, not least their 28-21 win over Melrose in the final.
The holders only beat Jed in extra time in the second round, the hosts having disposed of a West side which had to borrow four Langholm players to come up to scratch (and the clubs should hang their heads for that one), then came back from 24-14 down against Gala in the semi to clinch a final spot with Johnny Wearne's last second try.
Melrose, too, had a bumpy ride to the final, beating a Glasgow Hawks side which, had it delivered rather than dithered, would have gone through. The second round saw Melrose turn round a 17-7 half-time deficit to beat Hawick 26-24 and with Scott Hastings failing to show the sparkle of the first two rounds and Marcus di Rollo under par, Melrose went through 29-19.
They took a final lead - with Andrew Purves crossing - but a trip on Wearne earned a penalty try for Kelso. Mark Moncrieff, however, crashed over and Scott Nichol converted to give Melrose a 14-7 lead.
Kelso had to defend well to hold an early Melrose onslaught but a hack clear to halfway and good support saw Bob Hogarth sell the most outrageous dummy to go over for the levelling try.
Purves started a move on the right which Nichol finished off on the left then converted but with two minutes remaining Graham Cowe went in twice from 40 metres out to cap an outstanding afternoon's work.
Wearne converted both and Kelso fans, denied success on the previous two Saturdays, acclaimed their side. Results:
First round - Kelso 36, Boroughmuir 5; Jed-Forest 44, West of Scotland 7; Gala 22, Stirling Co 19; Langholm 14, Heriots 48; Hawick 25, St Boswells 17; Melrose 19, Glasgow Hawks 17; Watsonians 41, Peebles 5; Stewarts Melville 24, Selkirk 14.
Second round - Kelso 29, Jed-Forest 24 (after extra time), Gala 22, Heriots 14; Hawick 24, Melrose 26; Watsonians 43, Stewarts Melville 7;
Semi-finals - Kelso 26, Gala 24; Melrose 29, Watsonians 19.
Final - Kelso 28, Melrose 21.
q Ireland's superior skills in the reduced-player game enabled them to beat France B 19-10 in the final at the Benidorm International Sevens.
The Irish disposed of the United States 35-5 at the quarter-final stage and then overhauled French club Armagnac. Southampton University lost 21-15 to Spanish club Murcia in the Plate final and an outstanding Nottingham University squad outclassed Newcastle's Edwardians 36-12 to lift the Junior Clubs trophy, posting an unbeaten five-match run to earn their success.
q London Irish guaranteed their Allied Dunbar Premiership One future with a hard-fought 26-14 victory over gritty Rotherham at Sunbury yesterday.
q Neil Back dealt England's tour of the Southern Hemisphere another blow after failing a fitness test on his injured groin when the squad reported at Twickenham yesterday.
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