In photos: Six tries up north secure rugby’s national inter-district championship title for South of Scotland

Not only did Glasgow and the West get the better of Edinburgh by five points but South of Scotland saw off defending champions Caledonia Reds by 36-18 at Canal Park in Inverness, that 18-point gap being bigger than every other winning margin of the competition combined.

The Borderers scored six tries to their hosts’ three to secure their first championship title as the South since 1994 and their first in any guise since 2002, making amends for their 32-30 loss to the same opposition in last year’s final in Glasgow.

They were the only team to go through this year’s championship unbeaten, having defeated Edinburgh by 27-24 away and Glasgow by 27-25 at home at Kelso previously to end up with 13 points from their three fixtures, two clear of the second-placed Glaswegians.

Saturday’s victory earned them the inaugural Nairn MacEwan Cup, named after the late former Gala and Highland flanker, as well as their 19th inter-district title outright.

Selkirk’s Callum Anderson touched down at the double for head coach Matty Douglas’s regional side at the weekend, along with Hawick’s Fraser and Calum Renwick and Russell Anderson and Kelso’s Keith Melbourne, with Greens full-back Kirk Ford defying 40mph winds to add three conversions.

Hawick accounted for almost half of the South’s starting XV, with captain Shawn Muir, Nicky Little, Connor Sutherland and Jae Linton also representing the Greens.

Lock Melbourne was joined by Kelso team-mates Bruce McNeil and Frankie Robson and left-winger Anderson by fellow Souters Josh Welsh and Aaron McColm, alongside Melrose’s Donald and Douglas Crawford.

McNeil’s 48 minutes on the pitch prior to making way for Gala’s Craig Keddie kept up his standing, at the age of 40, as the only ever-present for the South since their revival in 2009.

Currie Chieftains’ Callum Beckett, Falkirk’s Connor Faulds and Heriot’s Malachy Keogh scored tries for head coach Colin Sangster’s Reds, with Beckett kicking one conversion.

Melrose scrum-half Crawford was named as man of the match and he told Borders Rugby TV afterwards of his delight at helping the South secure their first title for over two decades, saying: “It means a lot.

“When we first got together as a group, we said the goal was to win the championship and go undefeated, and for that actually to happen is class. It’s brilliant.

“One of the key things we spoke about was making memories and we’ve done that.

“We’ve not only connected on the pitch but we’ve had a good time off it as well.

“They’re a great group of guys, with great management as well behind the scenes.

“It’s been an awesome rugby experience and I hope it continues. For other guys to get a chance to take part and get involved would be brilliant.”

See also …

https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/title-winning-south-of-scotland-head-coach-matty-douglas-glad-of-distraction-from-sacking-by-hawick-4586232

and …

https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/character-and-strength-in-depth-to-thank-for-south-of-scotlands-inter-district-championship-title-win-says-head-coach-matty-douglas-4586191