Ayr 66 Stewarts Melville 15

The freeze is over (for the moment) and boy, did things heat up at Millbrae on Saturday.

Having been starved of game since December 12th, the Ayr crowd were treated to a feast of pacy, entertaining and slick rugby, some of which it has to be said, came from the visitors

Don't be fooled by that scoreline though. The gap was as least as wide as that and could have been wider but then again it reflects the difference between the top and bottom of Scottish Hydro Premier 1.

From the moment Ayr full back Dougie Steele eluded Blair Tweedie for the home sides opening try in seven minutes, the only question was not 'if' but 'by how many?' The Inverleith side had given Ayr a real test in Edinburgh and although at Millbrae they were sparky around the field and their three tries from Tweedie in the first half then Phil Hendry and Ben Leathes in the second were reward for some enterprising play, it was the sheer power of the Ayr pack which dominated the game.

The contact area was ruled by Paul Burke and Andy Dunlop and Burke's three tries illustrated just how outplayed the Stewarts Melville forwards were and when lock Damien Kelly had a couple of breenges each covering around forty meters, the second resulting in his try, the visitors body language told its own story.

Burke had two first half tries, Steele scored one with prop Stuart Fenwick and wing Andy Wilson grabbing the others. After the break Ross Curle had a couple, Kelly galloped over for his, Burke finished off his hat trick and Frazier Climo added a try to his eight from ten conversions.

So much for the scoring but what of the substance? Ayr were ruthless in their application and although coach Kenny Murray felt that more points should have been on the board, there was enough on show to prove that when they are on song, Ayr can be unbeatable.

Paul Burke had the Pinewood Restaurant man of the match for an imperious performance and deserved his hat trick but running him close was prop Stuart Fenwick. He was rock solid in the set piece but it was his performance ball in hand which caught they eye. A well taken try and a hand in at least three others, including one outrageous dummy at full speed, showed that his game is developing towards the potential he showed as an age group international and his fellow prop Gordon Reid wasn't far behind with some devastating runs.

Kelly's two bursts had the crowd on their feet and both Jamie hunter for forty five minutes then AJ MacFarlane had the time of their lives behind a pack totally in control. Frazier Climo's twenty one points from eight conversions and a try took him close to the two hundred point mark for the season and it was good to see Johnny McClung come back after a daunting run of injuries to give a useful performance on the wing.

By the way, it was January 25th, a mild afternoon with little wind and firm underfoot. Both sides responded with some scintillating rugby and while not re-hashing the old and tired arguments for and against a change in the timing of the rugby season, a day like Saturday with no meaningful fixtures during a winter break would make it touch and go as to whether the players or club treasurers would the more frustrated.

So Ayr stay in the Scottish Hydro Premier 1 title hunt, Stewarts Melville will go down but they are that enigma, like Stirling County, in that they are good enough to bounce back straight away.

On Saturday, Ayr travel to face Selkirk at Philiphaugh and the souters will be looking for revenge for the 47-17 hammering at Millbrae earlier in the season. It will be tough and they will be smarting after going down to West 34-25 at Burnbrae last week. Beware a wounded borderer!

Finally congratulations to the six Ayr players selected for the Scotland Club international squad which will take on France at Netherdale on Friday February 5th. The club international has been played in Edinburgh, Glasgow and now in the borders. One has to ask, given the contribution in terms of players made by Ayr over the past three seasons, when that prestigeous match will come to Millbrae. Don't hold your breath!

Team

Dougie Steele; Johnny McClung, Ross Curle, Mark Stewart, Andy Wilson; Frazier Climo, Jamie Hunter; Gordon Reid, Pat MacArthur, Stuart Fenwick, Damien Kelly, Scott Sutherland, Andy Dunlop, Paul Burke, Glen Tippett Subs Gordon Sykes, Stephen Adair, Scott Nimmo, Cammy Taylor, AJ MacFarlane