In photos: Kelso claim first Hawick Sevens win since 1997

The weekend’s double bill takes the campaign to the halfway stage and Kelso go into round six at Langholm this coming Saturday as front-runners for their first series title since 1998 and fourth in total.

They’re on 35 points, with second-placed Gala on 20, third-placed Selkirk on 19 and Melrose, winners at Berwick on Sunday, in fourth place on 18.

The Poynder Park club’s route to their 26-10 victory against Gala in Saturday’s final at Mansfield Park consisted of a 22-21 last-four knockout of Edinburgh Academical and a 19-all draw against Heriot’s and 68-0 thumping of Berwick in their pool.

Gala got to the final by beating Melrose 21-15 in the semis and Watsonians and Selkirk in their pool, by 28-14 and 19-12 respectively.

Saturday’s other pool matches saw Melrose beat Jed-Forest 21-17 and Boroughmuir 40-0, with Jed seeing off Boroughmuir by 25-14; Selkirk handing out a 44-5 hiding to Watsonians; Hawick losing 29-5 to Accies and 26-24 to Peebles, with Accies defeating the Pees by 33-21; and Berwick being thumped 61-0 by Heriot’s.

Kelso’s victory was their first at Hawick Sevens this century, having last won there, for the sixth time, in 1997, following prior successes in 1928, 1960, 1973, 1981 and 1985.

Making up their 11-man squad were Murray Woodcock, Andy Tait, Frankie Robson, Nik Stingl, Dwain Patterson, Archie Barbour, Robbie Tweedie, Cammy and James Thompson, Murray McGregor and Angus Roberts.

They fielded the same line-up at Berwick but for James Thompson dropping out and the addition of Duncan Smith and William Tweedie.

Langholm’s sevens, like Hawick and Berwick’s, are to be contested by four pools of three, withGala Peebles and Berwick in one; Kelso, Selkirk and Watsonians in another; Jed, Heriot’s and Accies in the third; and Melrose and Langholm sharing the fourth with a president’s team.

Robbie Tweedie scored two tries for Kelso in their final against Gala, with Patterson adding another and a conversion and Tait also touching down. Their Galashiels opposition’s tries were scored by Scott Peffers and Ben Gill.

Tweedie also scored a try in their semi-final against Accies, along with Barbour at the double and Patterson, plus a Patterson conversion, with Reuben Walsh, Harvey Cameron-Barr and Jarrod Benstead replying, all their touchdowns being converted by Richard Mill.

Gregor Collins scored two tries for Gala in their semi and Gill got another, with Donald Crawford, Harry Makowski and Bruce Colvine touching down for Melrose.