Southern hemisphere tackling lessons put into practice by Malleny Park men Currie find ferociously is the best way to play

It's the simple things in life that make it worth while. Like the

thunderclap of a good tackle, or the sweetness of a flying ruck, or the banter of a good club game.

Well, it was good to reflect at the end of this match that we had seen all three, the first two most engagingly from a Currie outfit intent on winning at the Greenyards for the first time.

The tackling? Well, at times it was mind boggling, and if ever

tackles win matches then the Malleny Park men went some way to

providing the proof.

''I was in New Zealand in the summer studying their coaching and they tackle much higher than we do,'' said Currie coach Bruce MacNaughton after the game. ''As a club we are intentionally going high in the tackle to try to disrupt the ball. After all, if we tackle a good team like Melrose around the legs then they will lay the ball off.

''No, we have had at least two penalties against us for high

tackles per game this season, and it works. We have to put people off their game and try to intimidate them in the tackle.''

He smiled. It was a malevolent, roughhouse smile, which said so much. The word is abrasive. If truth be told there were a few Melrose men disconcerted at the ferociousness of Currie's tackling, noticeably Mark Moncrief who had contended with Stephen Reed's shoulder in his chest for much of the game until the stocky winger retired hurt.

And the rucks were superb, in big men like Colin Black at tighthead, and a well drilled but unspectacular pack, Currie have powerful assets who can collide over the ball as if it's some form of ballet. It's that beautiful.

Add to that Ally Donaldson's ability to allow Murray Craig to hit the gain line from almost anywhere, or cool the game down with a well placed kick if need me, and some fair presence in full back Jason Bowie, and you begin to get the picture.

I passed Donaldson after the game. ''How old were you when you chucked in rugby?'' he shouted. I told him: 29. ''Well I'm a lot older than that.''

That's as may be, but Donaldson's unflappability, added to the odd break, shadowed his opponent, the capable Alex Morris from Gloucester, who quite obviously has class, but missed three kicks which would have saved the game.

In the boys room afterwards a chap I'd never met was telling anybody: ''I'm from Gloucester and I'm ashamed to have watched that kicking display. On behalf of all of us, sorry.'' Given where we were nobody shook his hand.

Put bluntly, Currie had out-

muscled their illustrious Border opponents, and the small town of Melrose must wonder what the heck has happened to their game with so many of their stars taken from them.

Up front Melrose were quick, but apart from James Henderson at No.8 and the loose-head Craig Smith they were unpenetrative.

New Zealand full back Karl Thomson looks a handful, however, Melrose were cute but not nasty, lightweight and unable to strike the killer blow.

One look at the east end of the ground behind the posts and you could see why. Chalmers, Hogg, Broughton, Shiel, all standing watching. The teams who have lost the most players are struggling. After a ding dong first half in which Melrose had, surprisingly, been on the back foot, they erupted into life but couldn't score.

Currie promptly went up the other end and did precisely that.

Bowie was engineered through the midfield, Geoff Caldwell took the ball upfield, and although he looked to have taken the wrong option going infield when the overlap was on, he fed Stephen Reed who went over on the left- hand side.

Currie's sweet back-row moves, obviously planned two or three stages from set piece, were cameos to watch.

Just one thing to complain about though: what's all this whinging at touch judges from wimpy players all of a sudden? Looks daft boys. Good game though.

Melrose - K Thomson; M Moncrief, S Nicol, J Turnbull, A Purves; A Morris (McGarva 6-13), S Thom; C Smith, D Graham (W Mitchell 72), M Browne (I Cornwall 72), A Clark, S Aitken, C Redpath, D Watt ( K McLeish 72), J Henderson.

Currie - J Bowie; G Caldwell, M Craig, N Armstrong (M Plumb 47), S Reed (G Tait 72); A Donaldson, D Rogerson; A Watt (D Wilson 64), A Glen, C Black, M Laugeson, A Russell, B Ward, S Hardie, P Simpson.

Referee - J Fleming (Boroughmuir).

Scoring sequence (Melrose first) - No scoring before half-time; 0-7, 0-10, 5-10, 8-10, 8-17.

Scorers: Melrose: try - Thom (57); pen - Morris (67); Currie: tries - Reed (47), Craig (71); con - Donaldson (47 and 71); pen - Donaldson (51).