But as far as Melrose was concerned, despite the fact that Blake turned out for them at flanker, it was all about Richard Mill, who returned to haunt his former team-mates.

With the game two minutes into injury time, and Heriot’s ahead with a 72nd minute drop goal from Gregor McNeish, Mill popped up at the other end to repeat the dose to add to his two penalties.

“I knew the game was tight and I was delighted to see my kick go over,” he said. “But this was a team effort and I took the chance when it came. It was a positive result for us,” he said.

Mill had earlier missed a conversion attempt and a penalty, but that was evened out by Graham Wilson’s two penalty misses – and crucially Melrose scored the only try.

Captain Fraser Thomson was delighted to complete the double over the league leaders. “This was a huge result for the club. We spoke at half-time about defending wherever we were on the field and our players showed great character, and also composure, to drop the goal.” Rugby director Mike Dalgetty added: “It was a tremendous result and we should been further ahead at half-time.

“Richard gets a lot of stick up here, but we all showed a lot of character. We would have wondered 'why’ if we had lost the game. It was a good result as we wanted a home tie in the play-offs” Melrose controlled the first half and could have added to their 11-9 first-half lead, but were under severe pressure from the powerful home pack after the break to deny them a try. Indeed, two drop goals were the only scores shared in the second half.

Blake, who had an impressive performance, was one of two players yellow-carded by RFU referee Jamie Leahy, the other being Heriot’s Russell Nimmo.

But in an even, nail-biting contest, Melrose edged home in a game when so much time was spent setting and re-setting scrums – and a huge number of penalty awards, which slowed the game down.

Graeme Dodds gave Melrose an early lead, being driven over the line in a forwards’ charge, before two Wilson penalties put Heriot’s ahead.

Mill kicked his first penalty to restore his side’s lead and then he and Wilson exchanged kicks ahead of the interval.

The Melrose defence was immense after the break, but just when it seemed, as it had done a week earlier in Gala, that the second half would be scoreless.

McNeish seemed to have won it until Mill responded with: 'anything you can do, I can do.” The celebrations of the Melrose players would have been heard in Princes Street.

Melrose: F. Thomson; C. Anderson, A. Nagle, T. Galbraith, T. Mua; R. Mill, B. Colvine; N. Beavon, R. Ferguson, E. McQuillin, J. Head, L. Carmichael, N. Irvine-Hess, G. Dodds, H. Blake. Replacements: C. Mackay, N. Little, G. Runciman, M. McAndrew, J. Helps.