The firm conditions – unusual for this time of year – meant running rugby was definitely on the menu. The fact that eight tries were scored spoke volumes for the ambition of both sides, and, in the end, Stewart’s Melville scored five of those tries to record one of our better performances of the season.

Last year, we did not compete at the breakdown and surrendered the initiative, but our players, this year, were well warned.

Greg Raeburn, the Peebles outside–half, gave Pees an early advantage with a straightforward penalty, but, a minute later, his clearance kick was charged down to allow Trotter the simplest of tasks to reply.

Seb – who’ll not forget this day in a hurry – then completed his brace, underneath the posts. With Mike Hanning converting both, we had a 14-3 advantage after twenty minutes.

Peebles were slightly unlucky to be in this position, but McConnell, an exceptional ball carrying hooker, stormed over to narrow the gap. Mike Hanning kicked a penalty at the edge of his range but failed to convert Neil Bowie’s try to make the score 22-8. Although the home side held this score-line advantage at the interval, the visitors came back hard in the second half.

But it took until the 20th minute before Carrier accepted the overlap to touch down in the corner.

The conversion from the touchline was unsuccessful, meaning Peebles were still more than a converted try in arrears.

A neat backs move saw Matt Morrell saunter in under the posts without a hand being laid on him for the bonus point try.

Peebles then lost a man to the 'bin’ for not rolling away, making an unlikely task look very difficult.

Winger Pye sqeezed in at the corner beside the Club House, but, with only two minutes left on the clock, it was too late, really. A neat chip by Hanning and chase by Morrell and Hannay allowed Matt to benefit from a mistake in the Peebles defence and complete the scoring with the last play of the match.