Last derby day of season in rugby’s Tennent’s National League Division 1 goes Gala’s way versus Melrose

They beat Melrose 43-35 at home at Netherdale in Galashiels to take their tally of victories against their regional rivals for the season to two following their 43-15 Waverley Cup win at home in December, with their first meeting in the league at the Greenyards in November going the other way by 63-15.

Tim McKavanagh at the double, Angus Dun, Ben Gill, Murray Wilson and Scott Peffers scored tries for Gala at the weekend, with Craig Dods adding five conversions and a penalty.

On the scoresheet for their visitors were Will Ferrie, Angus Runciman, Donald Crawford, Ross McConnell and Archie Pilcher with tries and David Colvine with five conversions.

That result takes fourth-placed Gala to within ten points of third-placed Melrose with three matches of this term left to go. Gala are now on 66 points from 19 fixtures and Melrose on 76 from 20.

Gala’s run-in comprises two home games – against seventh-placed Biggar this Friday, with kick-off at 7.30pm, and title challengers Ayr on Saturday, April 1, at 3pm – and a trip to second-bottom Aberdeen Grammar on Saturday, April 15, also with kick-off at 3pm.

Melrose’s two remaining matches are at basement side Stewart’s Melville in Edinburgh on April 1 and at home to sixth-placed Dundee on April 15, both being 3pm kick-offs.

In the meantime, they return to Netherdale on Monday for this year’s Border League final against Tennent’s Premiership outfit Selkirk, with kick-off at 7.30pm.

Melrose are also set to enter rugby’s Scottish cup at its second-round stage, having been drawn away to Currie Chieftains on Saturday, March 25, at 3pm, Gala having gone out in round one at home to Glasgow Hawks at the beginning of February.

Looking back over Saturday’s third derby win of the season to date, having also beaten table-toppers Kelso away at Poynder Park by 36-31 at the end of January after losing 27-23 to them at home in October, Gala president Gary Isaac said: “It was a local derby and they’re never easy as usually form goes out of the window.

“It was certainly a good open game of rugby.

“The other league game Melrose won but we beat them in the Waverley Cup at Netherdale on Boxing Day so we’re 2-1 up overall and we’ve got the bragging rights there, I suppose.

“Next up we’ve got Biggar and that’ll be a competitive game again and then we’ve got Ayr coming up on April 1 and Kelso will be looking for us to do them a favour, I’m sure, to take the pressure off them a bit.”

Gala are now looking ahead to next season, having appointed Ewen Swinton, also operations director for the revived South of Scotland district team, as director of rugby.

“It’s a young squad we’ve got and we’ve got 12 guys stepping up to the firsts,” added Isaac.

“Having such a young team, it’s been a learning curve for them.”