BT Premiership play-offs round-up

It was a slightly disappointing way for Weston to call time on his illustrious playing career, but the 33-year-old number eight has been around a block enough times to understand that his team were always long-shots in this match. The former Scotland Club XV captain chose to take satisfaction instead in how the young players around him have grown into senior rugby this season.

"Full credit to Melrose - they played really well. They had a 20-minute spell in the first-half that blew us away, and we were always chasing the game after that," he said.

"In October we were sitting at the bottom of the league, and talking about getting relegated, so to make a late charge into the play-off showed how much character we have as a side."

"I've had twelve seasons with Currie and loved every one of them. Obviously winning the league twice in 2007 and 2010 were highlights, but that’s me now: my boots are in the bin."

Melrose know that they face two huge challenges against Ayr but head coach Robert Chrystie is feeling pretty good about how his squad is shaping up for the climax to the season. They might have raced to the summit of the league at the start of the campaign playing a free-wheeling brand of attacking rugby, but on Saturday they showed that they can roll up their sleeves and grind it out with forward power as well.

"We knew Currie were going to give us a tough game, but in the end we really executed, and to be honest we didn't give them a sniff. I was really pleased with how we reacted to last weekend's cup match against Stirling, when we weren't able to put the tie to bed," said Chrystie.

"It was a little bit different from the style you've perhaps seen us play in the last few weeks. We wanted to put a marker down early doors, and we did that when we were able to drive over with our first attack of the game."

"Its going to take a decent side to beat us, and Ayr are a decent side. It's going to be a cracker of the game. I firmly believe ourselves and Ayr have been the best two teams in the league, so it's great that it's going to come down to this. We're really happy to be at home, as we have obviously had to travel through to Ayr the last few times, and hopefully that will give us a slight edge."

Ayr could very well be without talismanic centre Ross Curle for those two matches after he got himself sent off for a no-arms tackle on Glasgow Hawks full-back Jack Steele late on in his team’s 38-22 play-off semi-final success at Millbrae.

This is also Curle’s last season playing in the Premiership and it would be a real shame if does pick up a ban that precludes him from taking part in these two finals.

Over the years, Curle has had a habit of getting himself in hot water with reckless challenges, and it is frustrating that he has once again allowed to the red mist to descend – especially as he had just scored his team’s sixth try to make sure that the contest was well and truly over before making that rash challenge.

Archie Russell, Grant Anderson (twice), Danny McCluskey and Robert McAlpine were Ayr’s other try scorers; while the phenomenal 18-year-old Matt Fagerson grabbed a brace for Hawks. The visitors also picked up a penalty try as a consequence of Curle’s moment of madness.

Meanwhile, Marr booked their promotion to the Premiership next season as champions of National One with a 39-22 victory over GHA at Fullarton Park. That means Edinburgh Academicals (who finished second in National One) and Hawick (who finished second bottom in the Premiership) will meet in a relegation-promotion play-off on 29th April.