BT Premiership Preview: Currie look to make top four in final round

BT Premiership Preview: Currie look to make top four in final round

In the eighteenth and final round of the BT Premiership this Saturday, fifth-placed Currie face Glasgow Hawks at Malleny Park at 3pm as the hosts look to challenge for a top four position ahead of the play-offs in April.Currie trail defending champions Heriot’s by three league points and, with a game in hand after their recent game against Boroughmuir had to be rescheduled, this home fixture looks the ideal opportunity for them to boost their chances as the end of the season approaches.While Ben Cairns’ men will be raring to go against Hawks who are currently third on 57 points, the Glasgow outfit will be aiming to bounce back following their 7-36 defeat to Ayr last week to remain contenders for the BT Premiership title.Cairns said his squad were disappointed not to have played last weekend and has made only one change to his proposed team against Boroughmuir last week, with Paul Mundell coming onto the bench for Dan Marek who misses out through illness.He said: “With Melrose scrapping through against Heriot’s we now know what we need to do to make the play-offs. That starts with getting a win this weekend against a Hawks side who I’m sure will want to bounce back after a disappointing result against Ayr last time out.Both teams like to throw the ball around so let’s hope for some decent weather that allows for an entertaining match in our last outing at Malleny this season.” Glasgow Hawks Head Coach, Finlay Gillies, has made a couple of changes to his squad with Adam Lowrie starting at scrum-half following a solid performance last week, and a slight shuffle to the back-line sees Jack Steele at inside centre and Sean Yacoubian at full-back.Gillies said: “Currie have a lot to play for in this match while we need to get our performance levels back to where they were in the earlier part of the season.After a disappointing match against Ayr, we need to raise our standards in anticipation of the upcoming challenge in the play-offs and the BT Cup.”Elsewhere in the BT Premiership, Ayr welcome Watsonians to Millbrae with hopes of securing a fourth consecutive win to extend their one-point lead over Melrose, while Watsonians look to improve after narrowly defeating Stirling County 15-12 on home soil last weekend.Capital side Heriot’s take a trip to Bridgehaugh as they face Stirling County, with both sides determined to return to winning ways as Heriot’s also lost out by three points to Melrose 5-8 at Goldenacre last weekend.In the Borders, Gala host Boroughmuir as the two battle it out at the bottom of the table but, after a 16-6 defeat to local rivals Hawick, the maroons look set for relegation.At The Greenyards, Melrose play Hawick where both sides will look to build on their recent wins, but the visitors know this will be a tough feat as Melrose have only lost at home once this season to Heriot’s in October. BT Premiership Round 18 – Saturday 18 February 2017Currie v Glasgow Hawks, Malleny Park, 3pmCurrie: Harvey Elms; Matt Hooks, Ratu Tagive, Robbie Nelson, Ben Robbins; Jamie Forbes, Matt O’Neil; John Cox, Graeme Carson, AP McWilliam, Stephen Ainslie, Mike Vernel, Scott McGinley, Rhys Davies, Ross Weston CAPTAIN. Replacements: Conor McEvoy, Reece Patterson, Paul Mundell, Cameron Smith, Ruaraidh Smith.Glasgow Hawks: Sean Yacoubian; Erland Oag, Brendan McGroarty, Jack Steele, Kerr Gossman; Paddy Kelly, Adam Lowrie; Lyall Archer, Grant Stewart, Gary Strain, Andrew Kirkland, Andrew Linton, Steven Leckey, Matt Smith, Tommy Spinks CAPTAIN. Replacements: Scott Rodgers, Steven Finlay, Ross Miller, Hagan Schulte, David Milne. Ayr v Watsonians, Millbrae, 3pm     Ayr: Grant Anderson; Danny McCluskey, Archie Russell, Ross Curle, Craig Gossman; Frazier Climo, David Armstrong; George Hunter, Lewis Anderson, Steven Longwell, Rob McAlpine, Scott Sutherland, Blair Macpherson, Gregor Henry, Pete McCallum CAPTAIN. Replacements: David Young, Adam Prentice, Will Bordill, Paddy Dewhurst, Jamie Bova.Watsonians: Andrew Chalmers; Mark Bertram, Scott McLeod, DJ Innes, Rory Steele; Ewan Scott, Euan McKirdy; Nathan Borel, Sean Crombie, Shaun Rowers, Craig Borthwick, Charlie McLean, Euan Dods, Angus Duckett, Rory Drummond CAPTAIN. Replacements: Darren Miller, Martin Christie, Fraser Morrison, Scott McKean, Keith Young.Stirling County v Heriot’s, Bridgehaugh, 3pm   Stirling County: Jonny Hope CAPTAIN; Shaun MacDonald, Andrew McLean, Alex Black, Logan Trotter; Ross Jones, Matt Donaldson; Mike MacDonald, Reyner Kennedy, Mark Hunter, Adam Sinclair, Hamilton Burr, Alex Taylor, Chris Fusaro, Ruairidh Leishman. Replacements: Matthew Emmison, Craig Black, Andrew Grant-Suttie, Colin Turnbull, Logan Bonnar.Heriot’s: Charlie Simpson; Robbie Mulveena, Solomoni Junior Rasolea, John Semple, Robert Kay; Rory Carmichael CAPTAIN, Tom Wilson; Martin Bouab, Michael Liness, Struan Cessford, Russell Nimmo, Callum Marshall, Michael Maltman, Jack McLean, Struan Dewar. Replacements: Ali Johnstone, Stewart Mustard, Clarke Smith, Alex Hagart, Gavin Parker. Gala v Boroughmuir, Netherdale, 3pm   Gala: Graham Speirs CAPTAIN; Ross Combe, Lewis Berg, Gregor Mein, Dwayne Burrows; Gregor Hunter, George Lott; Chris Keen, Matt Carryer, Dean Brooker, Sean Johnstone, Rob Louw, Chris Weir, Scott Chapman, Harry Borthwick. Replacements: Terry Skeet, Fraser Hunter, Stevie Cairns, Paul Hendry, Craig Robertson.Boroughmuir: Dougie Steele; Jordan Edmunds, Ronan Kerr, Greg Cannie, Grant McConnell; Chris Laidlaw, Blair Mills; Dale Robertson, Tristan King, Tom Gracie, Jamie Ure, Callum Atkinson, Aubrey Mcube, Craig Keddie, Matthew Tweddle. Replacements: Stuart Clark, Michael Henry, Matt Walker, Sam Johnston, Alex Cox. Melrose v Hawick, The Greenyards, 3pmMelrose: Fraser Thomson; Austin Lockington, Nyal Godsmark, George Taylor, Sam Pecqueur; Jason Baggott, Bruce Colvine CAPTAIN; Dan Elkington, Russell Anderson, Ruairi McLeod, Aaron Welsh, Anton Bresler, Ruaridh Knott, Grant Runciman CAPTAIN, Iain Moody. Replacements: Cameron McKay, Callum Crookshanks, Ali Grieve, Murdo McAndrew, Gavin Wood.Hawick: Lee Armstrong; Kirk Ford, Rory Hutton, Grant Huggan, Wesley Hamilton; Ali Weir, Bruce Campbell; Shaun Muir, Callum Mackintosh, Kevin Bryce, Keith McNeil, David Lowrie, Ross Gibson, Stuart Graham, Bruce McNeil CAPTAIN. Replacements: Garry Douglas, Matt Landels, Keith Davis, Kyle Brunton, Gary Johnstone.

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