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MATCH OFF
Selkirk 1st XV’s Tennent’s Premiership match against
Currie Chieftains, and Selkirk ’A’ XV’s Tennent’s Reserve East League Div. 1 game against Currie Chieftains ‘A’,
both scheduled to have been played at Philiphaugh tomorrow (Sat. Sept. 25) have been called off after a Selkirk
player who trained at the club this week tested positive for Covid today (Friday).
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SELKIRK SKIPPER’S PERFECT MATCH AS HE TIES THE
KNOT WITH CHILDHOOD SWEETHEART KAYLEIGH
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Ewan MacDougall and his
bride Kayleigh Glendinning are all smiles after their wedding ceremony at Lewinshope, in the Yarrow Valley, last
Friday afternoon. [Photo – JOHN SMAIL]
HAVING twice had to abandon their wedding plans because of Covid restrictions, it was third time lucky for Selkirk
Rugby Club captain Ewan MacDougall and his bride Kayleigh Glendinning, who were married last Friday at an outdoor
ceremony in the beautiful grounds of Lewinshope.
The couple have been going out since second year at Selkirk High School, so if ever a couple’s future together
was written in the stars, then this has to be it.
On her big day Kayleigh was given away by her father Norman, with Ewan’s best man being his former Philiphaugh
team-mate Ruairi Wilson. The bridesmaids were Natasha Lothian and Lizzie Bunyan, the ushers were Ewan’s brother
Craig and Brady Glendinning, while Kayleigh’s bridesman was Michael McClorey.
Everyone involved with Selkirk Rugby Club would like to wish the happy couple a long and joyful life together.
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HAWICK HAVE THE UPPER HAND AS INJURIES
TAKE A HEAVY TOLL ON BELOW-PAR SELKIRK TEAM
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Scrum-half Scott Clark dives over for Selkirk’s first try, much to the delight of team-mate Thomas Brown.
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No way through – Selkirk threequarter Clark Young feels the full force of Hawick No. 8 Jae Linton’s tackle.
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Wing Frazer Anderson dives for the corner, but the assistant referee ruled a foot had been in touch.
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Selkirk No. 8 Andrew Grant-Suttie bids to beat the Hawick cover. [Photos – GRANT KINGHORN PICS]
HAWICK 23, SELKIRK 22
TWO interception tries late in the game looked
as though Selkirk might come away from Mansfield Park on Saturday with an improbable win, but a penalty from the
boot of Hawick full-back Kirk Ford ultimately settled the contest and the Greens’ retention of the Bill McLaren
Shield.
Of more immediate concern for the visitors were the serious injuries picked up by three Selkirk players during
the match – Josh Welsh, Josh Mackay and Ryan Cottrell, who all had to be assisted from the pitch.
“The bottom line is that we didn’t play well today,” Selkirk head coach Scott Wight said after the game, “although
I thought the players showed character to fight to the end and come up with those two interception tries.
“Hawick were the better team on the day, and unfortunately we didn’t front up, which is something we’re going to
have to address.
“Probably the most disappointing thing of all is the crop of injuries we suffered, a couple of which look likely
to keep those players out for months rather than weeks.
“Hopefully coping with such adversity will knit us closer together as a squad, and it’s important the boys stick
together and don’t splinter off.
“Currie, one of the stronger teams in the league, come to Philiphaugh on Saturday, so we’re going to have to dust
ourselves off and get on with it.”
Hawick also didn’t have their injury problems to seek, with both Callum Renwick and his back row team-mate Stuart
Graham departing early from the fray after picking up knocks.
It took the home team just three minutes to put the first points on the board. Selkirk scrum-half Scott Clark lost
the ball after being caught in possession on the try line, allowing home skipper Matt Carryer to barrel over under
the posts. Ford converted.
With first Callum Renwick and then Josh Welsh retiring hurt, Selkirk came close to cutting the deficit when Frazer
Anderson almost squeezed over in the corner. However, the score was chalked off for a foot in touch.
A high tackle on Clark Young by Gareth Welsh resulted in the Hawick scrum-half being yellow-carded, before visiting
hooker Josh Mackay left the field in the 28th minute with a painful knee injury.
A Scott Clark penalty managed to keep Selkirk in the hunt, before Hawick punished a defensive lapse in the visiting
threequarter line that allowed wing Ronan McKean space on the right to score an unconverted score.
Just before the break Scott Clark peeled off a line-out drive to dive over for a try, which he then converted,
making the halftime score 12-10 in Hawick’s favour.
In the second half Selkirk continued to concede penalties in promising positions, surrendering significant chunks
of territory to opponents who looked hungrier and more incisive in attack.
A third home try by wing Morgan Tait and a penalty by Ford – awarded when Selkirk replacement Jack Hamilton was
yellow-carded moments after coming on to the field - put Hawick 20-10 ahead, at which stage a home win looked on
the cards. The visitors had other ideas.
With the Greens again camped on Selkirk’s 22, Selkirk’s Ryan Cottrell pounced on an off-load in front of his own
try line to sprint 85 metres up the stand touchline and score in the corner – in the process suffering a dislocated
shoulder and damaging his AC joint.
Incredibly, an almost identical try swiftly followed when Callum Anderson intercepted Kyle Brunton’s floated pass
inside Selkirk’s ‘22’ to race clear and touch down close to the posts. Clark converted to put the visitors ahead
for the first time in the match at 22-20.
Any brief hopes Selkirk’s travelling support might have harboured of a shock win were then extinguished by Ford’s
match-winning penalty kick.
HAWICK - K Ford; R McKean, A Redpath, K Brunton, M Tait; B Donaldson, G Welsh; T Hope, M Carryer, R Macleod,
R Smith, S Fairbairn, S Graham, C Renwick, J Linton. Replacements: N Little, C Tait, S Frizzel, D Lightfoot, J
Delaney.
SELKIRK - J Welsh; F Anderson, R Cottrell, R Nixon, B Pickles; C Anderson, S Clark; L Pettie, J Mackay, B
Riddell, T Brown, A McColm, A Cochrane, S McClymont, A Grant-Suttie. Replacements: R Cook, K Thomson, J Anderson,
J Hamilton, C Young.
Referee: Ross Mabon (SRU).
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MAKESHIFT SELKIRK ‘A’ SIDE BATTLE
HARD, BUT THE FORCE IS WITH HAWICK AT MANSFIELD HAUGH
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Selkirk ‘A’ skipper Liam
Cassidy on the charge, with team-mate Ruairidh MacKessack-Leitch ready to support.
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Front row forward Matthew Francis keeps a tight grip on the ball as he sets up another Selkirk ‘A’ attack.
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Player-coach David Cassidy is caught between two Hawick defenders. [Photos – GRANT KINGHORN PICS]
HAWICK FORCE 20, SELKIRK ‘A’ 16
WITH five changes in the Selkirk ‘A’ back division
from last week’s game, Saturday’s Tennent’s East Reserve League 1 match against Hawick Force at Mansfield Haugh
was always going to be a tough day at the office for the young visitors.
Straight from the kick-off a fumbled ball saw Hawick’s Adamo Antonacci score an unconverted try, but spirited runs
by Callum Turnbull and Matthew Francis allowed visiting player-coach David Cassidy to cut the deficit from a penalty.
Another unconverted try by Hawick’s Steven Mabon increased the Greens’ lead, before good work by Jamie Turnbull
gave Cassidy another penalty shot which he duly took.
The game ebbed and flowed with chances on both sides, but it was home centre Elliot Stanger who danced his way
over the line to put Force 15-6 up.
Before halftime Cassidy kicked his third penalty to make the interval score 15-9.
Hawick struck again when lock Murray Renwick bulldozed over the whitewash to put his side 20-9 ahead, but soon
afterwards David and Liam Cassidy combined to send Selkirk’s Adam Nichol over between the posts. There was no more
scoring after Cassidy’s conversion.
Visiting coach Martin Murray was happy with the way the team had played, with a special mention going to forwards
Andrew Davidson, Matthew Mackay and Aaron Cairney, all of whom turned out in the backs.
Prop Moray Haldane also showed up well, while man of the match Declan Broatch was prominent throughout.
HAWICK – A. Antonacci, C. Jeffrey, E. Stanger, G. Welsh, D. Robson, C. Riddell, M. King, A. Ford, I. Elliot, L.
Graham, M. Renwick, T. Huggan, N. Murray, R. Linton, S. Mabon. Replacements: D. Young, B. Swailes, B. Storrie,
B. Murdoch, B. Graham, H. Brogan.
SELKIRK – A. Davidson, A. Cairney, L. Martin, M. Mackay, K. McGregor, D. Cassidy, A. Beveridge, M. Francis, R.
McFadzen, M. Haldane, D. Broatch, J. Turnbull, L. Cassidy, R. MacKessack-Leitch, C. Turnbull. Replacements: R.
Murray, A. Hewat, F. Robertson, H. Robertson, M. Stanners, A. Nichol.
Referee – Mark Welsh (Gala).
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SELKIRK UNDER-15/16s TEAM ‘PLAY FOR
THE JERSEY’ AFTER PRESENTATION OF A NEW SET OF STRIPS
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The Selkirk U-15/16s players line up
for a photo call prior to the Gala match. [Photo – JOHN SMAIL]
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Selkirk fly-half Brodie Allan on the attack in Friday night’s match against Gala U-15/16s at Philiphaugh.
Selkirk players Fraser Kelly (left) and Kyle Pearson in action. [Photos – GRANT KINGHORN PICS]
A HASTILY arranged friendly against Gala Under-15/16s
at Philiphaugh on Friday night saw the young Souters come out on top with a hard-fought 34-17 win. Of equal significance
was the fact Selkirk’s squad was wearing brand-new playing strips.
“It was great to see our players wearing exactly the same strips as the club’s 1st XV,” said director of rugby
Ewen Robbie, who coaches the U-15/16s, after the game.
“The purchase of the new strip was made possible thanks to part-funding by Selkirk RFC, by Selkirk High School’s
‘School of Rugby’ and by Cameron Cochrane of Brown & Muir Ltd. The boys are all very appreciative.
“Another big plus-point was that we had no fewer than 27 players in our squad tonight, which bodes really well
for the future of rugby in Selkirk.”
Try scorers for Selkirk were Cameron Forster (2), Robbie Macdonell (2), Brodie Allan and skipper Oliver McClymont
(who added two conversions).
Gala’s points came from tries by Aaron Little (2) and Nairn Moncrieff, plus a Rory Wilson conversion.
SELKIRK – K. Pearson, E. Hastie, H. McEwan, R. Macdonell, S. Findlater, B. Allan, O. McClymont, S. McFarlane, C.
Cochrane, D. Oliver, F. Smith, O. Tomlinson, C. Forster, C. Lyall, R. Singhtoor. Replacements: F. Kelly, A. McFarlane,
H. Simpson, T. Fleming, C. McHugh, F. Baxter, S. Boyle, K. Singhtoor, L. Anderson, F. Smith, D. Farrell, J. Walker.
GALA – G. Brydon, F. Hume, N. Moncrieff, C. Corry, C. Brydon, R. Wilson, G. Balmer, L. Oliver, L. Scott, I. Little,
M. Bradley, C. Purves, L. Campbell, H. McDonald, A. Little. Replacement: A. Graham.
Referee – Matthew Wilkie (Kelso).
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