Hawick come from behind against Jed-Forest to keep up challenge for rugby's Scottish cup

A Jed-Forest attack being stopped in its tracks by Hawick (Photo: Steve Cox)

Hawick pulled off a hat-trick of derby victories this season against Jed-Forest on Saturday to keep up their challenge for national silverware on two fronts.

The Greens followed up their home-and-away wins against their regional rivals in rugby’s Tennent’s Premiership, by 26-7 at Mansfield Park in November and 22-12 away at Jedburgh’s Riverside Park in September, with a 34-7 victory in their sport’s Scottish cup, making a comeback after four years in abeyance.

That scoreline might be an emphatic one, but head coach Matty Douglas’s hosts had to come from behind to achieve it, going into the half-time break 7-5 down as their visitors took advantage of playing with a strong wind behind them.

Hawick’s tries were scored by Dalton Redpath, Calum Renwick, Connor Sutherland and Stuart and Ross Graham, with Kirk Ford adding three conversions and a penalty kicked from 50m out.

Dalton Redpath on the ball for Hawick against Jed-Forest on Saturday (Pic: Steve Cox)

Paulo Ferreira touched down Jed head coach Andrew Brown’s side’s only try, converted by Finlay Scott.

Saturday’s knockout of Jed sets Hawick up for a visit to Edinburgh Academical in the competition’s second round on Saturday, March 25.

Selkirk, Kelso and Melrose enter the competition at that stage, at home to Musselburgh and Heriot’s Blues and away to Currie Chieftains respectively, with all those fixtures kicking off at 3pm.

Melrose are the region’s most successful club in the 27-year history of the contest and joint most successful nationwide, having won it four times – in 1997, 2008, 2017 and 2018 – with Hawick and Gala joint second on two wins apiece. Hawick’s wins were in its launch season in 1996 and in 2002 and Gala’s in 1999 and 2012.

Hawick halting a Jed-Forest attack during their 34-7 Scottish cup first-round win at Mansfield Park on Saturday (Photo: Steve Cox)

Greens captain Shawn Muir was disappointed by his team’s slow start on Saturday but heartened by their second-half fightback, telling Borders Rugby TV afterwards: “The first 40 minutes for us were pretty disappointing but the conditions played a big part.

“There was a strong wind we were playing into, so going in 7-5 down at 40 minutes, we took that as we knew that in the second half we’d get a reaction and we’d be playing with those conditions.

“Our performance in the first half was probably not where we’ve been for our last few home games.

“Fair play to Jed, they came out and put us under pressure and they’ve got a few big lumps in that team and we struggled to deal with them – I’m not going to make any bones about that – but in the second half we fixed that and showed what we’re about defensively.

Kirk Ford kicking for Hawick against Jed-Forest at the weekend (Pic: Steve Cox)

“The league’s our priority but we want to win every competition we’re in.”

His opposite number Clark Skelson added: “I’m disappointed with the result but I’m proud of the boys.

“We dug in for 40 minutes there and really took the game to Hawick and defended really well and we made them work hard to get the ball off us in the first half. In the second half, we struggled to get our hands on the ball and keep hold of it.

“They are where they are, at the top of the table, for a reason.

Jed-Forest captain Clark Skeldon making a catch at Hawick's Mansfield Park at the weekend (Pic: Steve Cox)

“We came and tried to play rugby and take them on and unsettle them. We got stuck in, but in the end it wasn’t enough.”

Hawick and Jed have got this coming weekend off and are next in action on Saturday, February 18, in the league at home to Glasgow Hutchesons’ Aloysians and Edinburgh Academical respectively, both those matches kicking off at 3pm.