First derby win of season sees Selkirk through to final of rugby’s Border League

Aaron McColm on the ball for Selkirk versus Jed-Forest on Friday night (Pic: Grant Kinghorn)

Selkirk have claimed their first Borders derby victory of the current Tennent’s Premiership rugby season and are now looking to double that tally this coming Saturday as they take on Jed-Forest for the second time in the space of eight days.

Friday night’s 36-10 win at home at Philiphaugh to Jed followed a 20-20 draw away to Hawick in this campaign’s curtain-raiser in August and a 17-8 loss to the Greens in the reverse fixture last month.

Their Jedburgh opponents, on the other hand, are still waiting for their first derby victory of this season – their loss to the Souters having followed defeats by Hawick home and away by 22-12 and 26-7 respectively in September and earlier this month – and now have only one chance left prior to next year’s play-offs, that opportunity knocking at home at Riverside Park this weekend, with kick-off at 3pm.

Their seventh win of the season sees head coach Scott Wight’s Selkirk side remain in fourth place in the table, but, on 35 points from 11 games, they’re now seven points clear of fifth-placed Glasgow Hawks and just three points behind third-placed Edinburgh Academical, both beaten at the weekend, 24-19 by Glasgow Hutchesons’ Aloysians and 50-18 by Currie Chieftains respectively.

Selkirk's pack in action against Jed-Forest at Philiphaugh (Pic: Grant Kinghorn)

His Jed opposite number Andrew Brown’s team are on 18 points from 11 games, sitting third from bottom.

Selkirk were undefeated in their derbies against Jed last campaign, both played last November, drawing 10-10 at home and winning 21-9 away six days later, and Wight will be hoping to extend that unbeaten run this weekend.

The Souters’ try-scorers against their Borders rivals were Allan Ferrie at the double, Luke Pettie, Josh Welsh, Scott McClymont and Russell Anderson, with Craig Jackson adding three conversions.

Mason Cullen touched down Jed’s only try, with Finlay Scott adding a conversion and a penalty.

Former Southern Knight Allan Ferrie scored Selkirk's first two tries against Jed-Forest on Friday (Photo: Grant Kinghorn)

Double try-scorer Ferrie was delighted to help Selkirk notch up back-to-back wins following their 29-19 victory at Glasgow Hawks the weekend before, telling Borders Rugby TV afterwards: “It was good. I enjoyed it and getting the tries was a bonus – I don’t get many tries, to be fair – but just getting the win was the main thing and getting the points on the board.

“We need to be quicker if we’re in the opposition’s 22 – we need to get the ball out quick and play that kind of physical rugby – but I think we stepped up well.”

Jed’s Robbie Yourston was understandably less jubilant, saying: “We’re just disappointed, to be honest.

“We came across here believing we had a chance to win today but discipline killed us – scrum penalties and penalties in general in midfield.”

Scott McClymont on the attack for Selkirk versus Jed-Forest (Pic: Grant Kinghorn)

Selkirk’s defeat of Jed was a Border League double-header and pool A’s concluding fixture saw them edge out current champions Hawick by a point, with seven to the Greens’ six, for top spot and the right to face pool B’s victors – yet to be decided, there being three games left to play – in the competition’s final.

Melrose’s game at home to Gala this Saturday, a Tennent’s National League Division 1 double-header, is the next of those remaining pool B fixtures, with dates yet to be fixed for the other two, pitting Tennent’s National League Division 2’s Peebles against Gala and Melrose.