Jed-Forest can take heart from 31-20 loss to Currie Chieftains, says head coach Andrew Brown

Mason Cullen on the ball for Jed-Forest during their 31-20 home defeat by Currie Chieftains on Saturday (Photo: Bill McBurnie)

They might have failed to hang on to an eight-point half-time lead and missed out on an opportunity to exact revenge for a 52-12 thumping at Currie Chieftains at the start of the current Tennent’s Premiership rugby season back in August, but Jed-Forest can take heart from their 31-20 home defeat by the Edinburgh side on Saturday, according to head coach Andrew Brown.

Stand-off Jye McGough and centre Rory Marshall scored tries, with Finlay Scott converting both and kicking two penalties, to give the hosts a 20-12 interval lead at Jedburgh’s Riverside Park, but that was as good as it got for them as their visitors racked up 19 points without reply after the break.

Currie’s try-scorers – keeping them third in the table, with 37 points from nine games, just one point off pole position – were James McCaig at the double, Chris Anderson, Kyle Steel and Koby McGovern, with Adam Hall converting two and former Melrose stand-off Christian Townsend another.

That was Jed’s sixth defeat of the current campaign and it leaves them seventh in the standings, on 18 points from nine games.

Jed-Forest No 8 Ben McNeill in action against Currie Chieftains at the weekend (Pic: Bill McBurnie)

Their next game is a Borders derby at table-toppers Hawick on Saturday, November 12, kicking off at 3pm, and they’ll take a lot of confidence into that match from Saturday’s performance, says Brown.

“I’m massively pleased with the direction that we’re heading in,” he told Borders Rugby TV afterwards.

“The first time we played Currie, we found out the level we need to be and an 11-point margin in this game I don’t think really reflects it. We were right in that game right until the end.

“Just to be shut out at the end there by a penalty when we were knocking on the door was disappointing but the lads played outstanding.

Lewis Young on the attack for Jed-Forest against Currie Chieftains at the weekend (Pic: Bill McBurnie)

“There was some great rugby in the first half and we went into the sheds at half-time positive and confident.

“Everything we did was positive and we were definitely on the front foot.

“We knew our physicality could match theirs and we knew with the game-plan we had that we could break them down.

“I think everybody’s buying into what we’re doing.

Robbie Shirra-Gibb on the charge for Jed-Forest versus Currie Chieftains on Saturday (Pic: Bill McBurnie)

“Don’t get me wrong, everybody’s disappointed with the result, but it’s small steps and I definitely think we’re getting there.

“It’s such a competitive league that anybody can beat anybody.”

Captain Clark Skeldon added: “It was disappointing, to be honest.

“We’d built a good lead going in at half-time and our tails were up, but we just really didn’t get going in the second half.

Finlay Scott in action for Jed-Forest versus Currie Chieftains (Pic: Bill McBurnie)

“We shot ourselves in the foot a few times but we kept battling away.

“Especially at home we’ve been pretty good for the full 80 minutes, but we just ran out of steam against Currie and struggled to get out of our own half and build any pressure or score any points.

“To be fair to Currie, they’re a good side and they came out for the second half flying and put us away really.”

Looking ahead, Skeldon added: “We’re getting better every week. We’ve just got to keep building. There are a lot of young boys in that squad.

“We’ve just got to keep fighting away for everything.”