The Melrose 7s

Live on BBC 2 Scotland from 2pm!

Edinburgh Rugby are the only professional team this year, but they've been cobbled together with little training for it so can they be beaten by the amateur 7s teams?

RDW_Scotland wrote:Live on BBC 2 Scotland from 2pm!

Edinburgh Rugby are the only professional team this year, but they've been cobbled together with little training for it so can they be beaten by the amateur 7s teams?

Unthinkable. They have Andries Strauss.

A few sides seem to have diluted sides with them compared to usual.

Heriots with the cup and league final coming up seem to have sent mostly second team players who have barely run for a few weeks. There are a handful of first XV players who should be very handy in 7s from what I've seen of them.

This Belgian side on currently seem pretty handy.

So great to see such a big crowd out at Melrose as always, festivals like this are what 7s should always be about.

Edinburgh looking big strong and fast - as expected against amateurs

Who is this Tofilau guy??

It's rather silly having a pro team in the compitition to be honest it just takes the unpredictability out of the whole tournament

Even Edinburgh manage to make 7s dull somehow!

Not been a vintage tournament playing wise across the board!

Fowles and Hoyland looking good.

I'm surprised we haven't seen a rolling maul or up and under from Edinburgh yet!

Edinburgh are just too big and strong for the rest it seems.

Hoyland is absolutely electric.

Jed looking good though - a proper 7s team with plenty pace

Hoyland is great in attack but defensively he's worse that Tim visser

Edinburgh make the final but worryingly Fowles looks injured.

He's been the only creativity in the squad!

Why did Melrose score in the corner??

Nathan Fowles comes across as a bit of a Tinkywinky. That was an Armitage like finish

God knows why the Melrose player went for the corner. Rush of blood to the head I think.

Who is the dolt that BBC are using as pitch side reporter? He's utterly clueless. Even more so than sonja McLaughlin

Ps, this fowles laddie is handy at 7s but he's a petulant little twerp it seems

Aye the pitchside reporter was bloody clueless!

Would like to see more of Tofilau for Edinburgh!

RDW_Scotland wrote:Would like to see more of Tofilau for Edinburgh!

From what I can see he plays his rugby for Kirkcaldy, certainly looks like he could be playing at a higher level. I was a bit disappointed with Hoyland today, never looked to try his pace on the outside.

MacKnocked-on wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:Would like to see more of Tofilau for Edinburgh!

From what I can see he plays his rugby for Kirkcaldy, certainly looks like he could be playing at a higher level. I was a bit disappointed with Hoyland today, never looked to try his pace on the outside.  

Yeah the chat seems to be he came over from Australia and has been playing for kirkaldy, but training with Edinburgh lately.

He must be a beast at that level!

RDW_Scotland wrote:

MacKnocked-on wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:Would like to see more of Tofilau for Edinburgh!

From what I can see he plays his rugby for Kirkcaldy, certainly looks like he could be playing at a higher level. I was a bit disappointed with Hoyland today, never looked to try his pace on the outside.  

Yeah the chat seems to be he came over from Australia and has been playing for kirkaldy, but training with Edinburgh lately.

He must be a beast at that level!

I take it he's a centre in 15s? Quick look on Google, it would appear he's only 20 or 21 yrs old, looks far older. Might well be worth a pro contract.

MacKnocked-on wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:

MacKnocked-on wrote:

RDW_Scotland wrote:Would like to see more of Tofilau for Edinburgh!

From what I can see he plays his rugby for Kirkcaldy, certainly looks like he could be playing at a higher level. I was a bit disappointed with Hoyland today, never looked to try his pace on the outside.  

Yeah the chat seems to be he came over from Australia and has been playing for kirkaldy, but training with Edinburgh lately.

He must be a beast at that level!

I take it he's a centre in 15s? Quick look on Google, it would appear he's only 20 or 21 yrs old, looks far older. Might well be worth a pro contract.  

I think Edinburgh signed him to a contract a couple of months ago, but are allowing him to play out the season with Kirkcaldy. He looks like he has potential.

It seemed to be quite a good tournament in the end.

Apart from the Belgian side, were any other international invitational teams there?

Usually there is a Fijian side and places like Stellanbosch University usually send a side.

The mods have spoken to me before writing this post and on no account am I to mention that Edinburgh only won because Glasgow did not submit a team this year. Oops.

I thought the tournament was alright but some of the Edinburgh players really need to have a look at themselves (Dean in particular & Nathan 'Armitage' Fowles - showboating when they are 3rd choice pros makes them look rather silly).

I'd quite like to see a combined armed forces team play next year - would be a great experience for them and to get exposure. I'm sure a few players that played yesterday would do no worse than some professionals...

George Carlin wrote:It seemed to be quite a good tournament in the end.

Apart from the Belgian side, were any other international invitational teams there?

Usually there is a Fijian side and places like Stellanbosch University usually send a side.

The mods have spoken to me before writing this post and on no account am I to mention that Edinburgh only won because Glasgow did not submit a team this year. Oops.

That would be a moral victory for Glasgow then?

Lady Bru and I drove to Melrose for the day, and had a fantastic time. I ran into Simon Taylor behind the men's porta-loos, having an in-depth discussion on the parentage of the tournament's referees with none other than Marcus Di Rollo and Ben Cairns! It was a strange sensation to be so close to your heroes, yet know that we're in a far better position regarding the players that now fill their roles for Scotland!

I've been watching Melrose 7s for years, and it was great to finally get there. If anything, the event surpassed my expectations. Of course, this year's tournament lacked the sheer beauty with which Glasgow play the game (or the show-stopping pace of Carlin Isles), and it was frustrating how few players seemed to back themselves to outpace their man on the outside, but it was still a brilliant day.

IanBru wrote:Lady Bru and I drove to Melrose for the day, and had a fantastic time. I ran into Simon Taylor behind the men's porta-loos, having an in-depth discussion on the parentage of the tournament's referees with none other than Marcus Di Rollo and Ben Cairns! It was a strange sensation to be so close to your heroes, yet know that we're in a far better position regarding the players that now fill their roles for Scotland!

I've been watching Melrose 7s for years, and it was great to finally get there. If anything, the event surpassed my expectations. Of course, this year's tournament lacked the sheer beauty with which Glasgow play the game (or the show-stopping pace of Carlin Isles), and it was frustrating how few players seemed to back themselves to outpace their man on the outside, but it was still a brilliant day.

Marcus Di Rollo was your hero??

I actually bumped into Mike Blair in Victoria Park yesterday with his two kids. His wee boy already had a rugby ball in his hands. Probably has a sharper pass than SH-C already!

I bumped into Ross Ford and family in IKEA - his son was throwing a complete tantrum and we were stuck walking slowly behind them.

I plucked up the courage to ask Mrs RDW to ask him to move out the way, but we decided to just wait it out instead! He's a big lad.

funnyExiledScot wrote:

IanBru wrote:Lady Bru and I drove to Melrose for the day, and had a fantastic time. I ran into Simon Taylor behind the men's porta-loos, having an in-depth discussion on the parentage of the tournament's referees with none other than Marcus Di Rollo and Ben Cairns! It was a strange sensation to be so close to your heroes, yet know that we're in a far better position regarding the players that now fill their roles for Scotland!

I've been watching Melrose 7s for years, and it was great to finally get there. If anything, the event surpassed my expectations. Of course, this year's tournament lacked the sheer beauty with which Glasgow play the game (or the show-stopping pace of Carlin Isles), and it was frustrating how few players seemed to back themselves to outpace their man on the outside, but it was still a brilliant day.

Marcus Di Rollo was your hero??

I actually bumped into Mike Blair in Victoria Park yesterday with his two kids. His wee boy already had a rugby ball in his hands. Probably has a sharper pass than SH-C already!

FES, I'll be honest, when you're fifteen years old, every Scotland player is your hero, no matter how wretched a player they actually were in hindsight!

Hold on, your wee joke almost distracted us all from the idea that you, The Rt Hon Fenton Escadrille Seebohm III were in Victoria Park! You did this willingly? Oh wait, did one of your maids escape? The hounds won't direct themselves, I suppose.

RDW_Scotland wrote:I bumped into Ross Ford and family in IKEA - his son was throwing a complete tantrum and we were stuck walking slowly behind them.

I plucked up the courage to ask Mrs RDW to ask him to move out the way, but we decided to just wait it out instead! He's a big lad.

RDW, you are a wise man. I can't think of a single thing more capable than IKEA of turning otherwise normal people into aggressive, blood-hungry animals. Well maybe an episode of Geordie Shore.

IanBru wrote: Well maybe an episode of Geordie Shore.

Is that not what real life is like for you these days?

IanBru wrote:

funnyExiledScot wrote:

IanBru wrote:Lady Bru and I drove to Melrose for the day, and had a fantastic time. I ran into Simon Taylor behind the men's porta-loos, having an in-depth discussion on the parentage of the tournament's referees with none other than Marcus Di Rollo and Ben Cairns! It was a strange sensation to be so close to your heroes, yet know that we're in a far better position regarding the players that now fill their roles for Scotland!

I've been watching Melrose 7s for years, and it was great to finally get there. If anything, the event surpassed my expectations. Of course, this year's tournament lacked the sheer beauty with which Glasgow play the game (or the show-stopping pace of Carlin Isles), and it was frustrating how few players seemed to back themselves to outpace their man on the outside, but it was still a brilliant day.

Marcus Di Rollo was your hero??

I actually bumped into Mike Blair in Victoria Park yesterday with his two kids. His wee boy already had a rugby ball in his hands. Probably has a sharper pass than SH-C already!

FES, I'll be honest, when you're fifteen years old, every Scotland player is your hero, no matter how wretched a player they actually were in hindsight!

Hold on, your wee joke almost distracted us all from the idea that you, The Rt Hon Fenton Escadrille Seebohm III were in Victoria Park! You did this willingly? Oh wait, did one of your maids escape? The hounds won't direct themselves, I suppose.

I won't hear a bad word said about Victoria Park. Very up and coming area I'll have you know, full of particularly shrewd property magnates!

P.S. Even at 15 I still knew a duff player when I saw one