Ayr Rugby Club’s double bids ends with defeat at Melrose

Apr 29 2011 Ayrshire Post (main ed)

ONE to go – but it’s all over.

The dream of the double ended at a rain swept Greenyards where Ayr couldn't repeat last week’s cup final win over Melrose and take their title challenge to the final match against Currie at Millbrae on Saturday (writes RON EVANS).

This was the second half of the epic battle between Ayr and Melrose contested over two weeks and two venues – the international stadium and the second best looking ground in Scotland, the Greenyards – and before the game the atmosphere was electric.

Last week the Melrose support was described by one onlooker as 'timid' but the prospect of the first title success for the Borderers since 1997 did bring out quite a few extra followers. However, the crowd would have been surprisingly thin were it not for the mighty Millbrae mob.

Again the pink and black hordes turned out, young and old in full voice and bedecked in colours which seem, if some comments I heard are anything to go by, to offend some more traditional souls in Reiverland.

They sang and chanted for their team and when the deluge was at its worst, still managed to get behind Ayr in a way which has to be the envy of any other club in Scotland.

For a while it looked as though the pressure was going to be too much for the borderers as Scott Wight kicked off straight into touch then Rob Colhoun charged down a Fraser Thomson clearance only to see the ball bounce dead.

Only six minutes in and the Ayr support were ecstatic as Damien Kelly went over for a carbon copy of the try he scored at Murrayfield last week.

Ross Curle converted a beauty from the touchline and even when Wight had his first attempt at goal, the ball looked as though it was on life support as it wobbled over the bar.

A bout of midfield sparring as both sides looked for an opening ended with Wight lining up his second penalty but this one was ominously well struck as the Melrose No10 got his range and composure back, which was to have a telling effect on the outcome.

As was the case last week, the packs went toe to toe in battle but Ayr showed a penchant for indiscipline, got on the wrong side of referee Graham Knox and Wight landed penalty number three and took the lead after 17 minutes.

Melrose were being forced to play their rugby too far from the Ayr line and were broken down without too much trouble but on the 20 minute mark came a turning point. Colhoun pulled up limping and it became obvious that he wasn't going to continue. That was a massive blow, assistant coach Peter Laverie having remarked beforehand that one of Ayr's potent weapons was the back row of Paul Burke, Andy Dunlop and Colhoun with Glen Tippett coming off the bench.

The introduction of Tippett so early disrupted the Ayr offensive defence and when Wight slotted penalty number four after 27 minutes to stretch the lead, things looked ominous.

Much to his disgust and amazement, Andy Kelly earned a yellow card with four minutes of the half remaining but Wight missed that one.

Tippett took a hand and a great breenge with Scott Sutherland in support won a penalty but from half way, it was just out of Curle's range and the half time scoreboard showed 12-7 in Melrose's favour.

The second half was seven minutes old and Ayr were deep in the Melrose red zone thanks to a Mark Stewart surge, won the penalty for AJ MacFarlane to tap and go only to be held but again Kelly (D) applied the coup de grace. Curle's kick was just wide but at 12-12, it was game on.

A couple of minutes later came a crucial moment which will haunt one of the Ayr pack for a long time.

Melrose hefted themselves into the visitors’ 22, a scrum was awarded to Ayr, the re-set was awarded to Melrose, someone opened their big mouth and referee Knox, who, even a neutral observer remarked to me, was harsh on Ayr throughout, awarded a penalty which Wight gratefully banged over.

A childish expletive could have cost Ayr the title and the perpetrator should hang his head in shame. Because that transformed Melrose.

Wight, as you would expect from an experienced No10 on his own patch, started nailing his kicks to keep Ayr on the back foot, a confidence came into their handling and after a sweeping Jamie Murray break, lock Garry Elder burst through for the first 'Rose try.

Wight converted but six minutes later, Curle's penalty reduced the margin to a converted try but in the end it was the home side who got the clinching score thanks to Wight's now impeccable field management which kept Ayr pinned in their own 22 and from John Dalziel's burst, replacement Ross Miller crossed for the try which took title from Malleny to Melrose.

Wight again converted but with a last throw of the dice, Curle got on the end of a slick handling move to make sure that Ayr at least outscored Melrose in the try stakes.

His kick was wide, the whistle went and the Greenyards erupted as only a ground can when the home side clinches one of those special wins.

Coach Kenny Murray summed up the game succinctly. "You can't give away 15 points in a game like this and expect to win. Our discipline let us down badly."

Damien Kelly elaborated: "If we hadn't given away six kickable penalties we would have won because we outscored them in the try count again but over the two games we allowed them to kick eight penalties.

“We weren't clever enough at the breakdown and they were just a bit more streetwise than we were. Sometimes the lads get a bit over committed or the red mist comes down and that is very disappointing because the game was there for the winning.

"I feel really deflated because I will never get another crack at winning the title and I know how good it felt when we won it.”

Director of Rugby Jock Craig added: "It is hard to take because I thought that when we got back from 12-7 to level terms it looked like we might have got out of jail but our discipline let us down badly.

“To come to the Greenyards and outscore Melrose by three tries to two and still not win is very difficult to come to terms with but, in the end, perhaps it was an away game too far and all credit to the players for taking it so close to the wire.

“The squad and the coach set out targets at the beginning of the season and to achieve three out of four is not bad going."

He was referring to the fact that the team had got into the knockout stages of the British and Irish Cup, made sure of a top three place in the league to ensure competing in the B and I Cup next season, retained the Premier Cup while maintaining their challenge for the title until almost the final hurdle.

All that now remains is Saturday's clash with Currie at Millbrae which will decide second and third place in Premier One, Currie's win over Hawks at Old Anniesland making sure that the same three representatives from Scotland, Currie, Ayr and Melrose will be again take their place in the cross border competition next season.

Of course, there is disappointment in the Ayr camp but they can be proud of what they have achieved this season and after the Currie match, it will be fascinating to reflect in this column on what has been a roller coaster of a season at Millbrae.

Highlights of Melrose v Ayr are on www.scottishrugbytv.com