AN interesting first day of the season in National League rugby was set up by the SRU Championship committee to ensure that the games were all local derbies.

Kelso versus Jed is as local as it gets and it was a good test for both teams who had warmed up with a couple of Booker’s Border League games against Premier opponents.

Jed had the advantage of the following breeze in the first half and Jed scored first, against the run of play, with a try made by Gregor Young and scored by brother, Lewis. Gregor made the break from his own half and found Lewis on his shoulder in support to go in for the try which newcomer, Gregor Mein, converted.

Kelso’s pack began to dominate the play and Jed were being hammered by the referee at the breakdown for constant infringement. Kelso’s Phil Hume took several quick taps so testing the Jed defence. The pressure led to Kelso scoring two tries through new winger, Kev Wilson, and Gary Mulroy, who has made a come back after a succession of injuries. Sadly, he was injured in the act of scoring. Andrew Skeen converted both tries to take Kelso ahead by 14-7.

As half time approached, Jed enjoyed a passage of pressure from which a score came through ex Kelso player, Tony Wichary. The conversion was missed.

The second half continued with more of the same and Kelso soon extended their lead with another try by Phil Hume which was again converted by Skeen to take the visitors 21-12 clear.

Jed stuck to their task and were soon able to string some passages of play through their forwards and eventually the replacement scrum half, Danny Ritchie, went over in the corner. Again, no conversion! By this time Kelso lost Stuart Lowrie to the sin bin.

Skeen kicked a penalty for Kelso but Jed were still in the hunt for a result. The final stages of the game produced continual pressure for Jed but the Kelso defence was up to the task but eventually Mein scored but missed the crucial conversion.

The match finished with Kelso hanging on by a thread but the four points were secured with Jed gaining two bonus points for a narrow defeat and scoring four tries.

A win away from home in the first game of the season was an encouraging result for Kelso and so to the next game at home against Dundee High.

Kelso: Gary Mulroy, Kev Wilson, Gary Johnston, Dom Buckley, Aaron Jackson, Andrew Skeen, Phil Hume, Henri Boshoff, Ross Henderson, Stuart Lowrie, Stef Carnegie, Ian Wallace, Chris Riddell, Kieran Dunbar and Liam Tait. Replacements: Charlie Marshall, Blair Robertson, Matt Hall, Gavin Blair and Alan Haig.