MAIN talking point after this one-sided contest at The Gytes on Saturday was 'did the match do either club any good’?

Melrose, who fielded its strongest team available, minus the injured captain Bruce Colvine, demolished a Peebles side that looked out of its depth even before half-time when they trailed by 57 points.

However, both sides believed that it was a stepping stone to the real action which begins on Saturday. Obviously, Peebles has a lot of work to do ahead on the new season.

The club is hoping that new recruitments will arrive to bolster a fairly inexperienced side.

For new Peebles coach, Ewen Robbie, it must have been distressing to watch. However, he said: “It was a much better second-half performance and we have progressed (despite the score) from our defeat at Selkirk two weeks ago.

“Melrose showed that they will be a hard side to beat this season.” Melrose’s power added to its clinical finishing meant that Peebles were chasing shadows in the first half, but after the break, the home side got its act together and Robbie will be hoping that the club’s drive for new recruitments pays dividends.

Peebles simply could not match their opponents, and it was only in the second half, when the visitors were already 57-0 ahead and made several changes, that they got close to grips with their opponents.

Melrose scored 12 tries through Sam Pecquer (3), Bruce Dick (2), Fraser Thomson (2), Struan Hutchison (2), captain Grant Runciman, Neil Irvine-Hess and Graeme Dodds with nine conversions from Helps while the consolation try for Peebles came from Greg Raeburn, and this after Andrew Muir and James Head were yellow-carded by referee Gareth Fairbairn in the first minute.

Peebles: G. Raeburn; C. Blyth, R. Clinch, M. Brown, J. Harrison; M. McGahan, D. Anderson; W. Napier, R. McConnell, G. Turner, R. Brown, J. Swiatek, K. Brown, R. Harrison, A. Muir. Replacements: A. Brown, G. Pringle, L. Brink, G. Hogarth, C. Pye.

Melrose: F. Thomson; N. Godsmark, B. Dick, J. Helps, S. Pecquer; T. Galbraith, S. Hutchison; J. Bhatti, R. Ferguson, R. McLeod, J. Head, A. Grieve, N. Irvine-Hess. A. Miller, G. Runciman. Replacements: C. Mackay, N. Beavon, D. Elkington, G. Dodds, A. Nagle, R. Mill, R. Taylor.