BT Premiership Preview: Melrose take to the capital to face Boroughmuir

BT Premiership Preview: Melrose take to the capital to face Boroughmuir

This Saturday sees Melrose, who in recent weeks have returned to the top spot, travel to Meggetland to take on Boroughmuir (kick-off 3pm).Despite Boroughmuir’s impressive 24-11 victory over Ayr at the start of the month, they have struggled to secure another win since, and are now ninth in the league table above Hawick.Melrose on the other hand, defeated Hawick 3-14 last weekend but were unable to take home a bonus point.They currently draw with Ayr on 35 points in the table but are above the Millbrae men on points difference.  Therefore, while the ‘Muir aim to prove themselves – following their 27-31 loss to Gala last Saturday – Melrose will seek the bonus point win to pull away from Ayr who trail them in the table.Boroughmuir Head Coach, Peter Wright, admits he was disappointed with his team’s performance against Gala: “We did a huge number of good things then, but through a number of unforced errors, we shot ourselves in the foot.Having the league leaders visit us this week will certainly focus the minds.”Wright has made some changes to his squad, as Greg Cannie and Ronan Kerr replace Dougie Steele and Alex Cox respectively, who take their place on the bench.In the forwards, Tristan King starts after a number of weeks out injured and Andy Rose comes into the back-row.Rob Chrystie, Melrose Head Coach, has also made necessary changes to his side, and welcomes the return of both Fraser Thomson and Iain Moody back to the starting line-up after injury.Chrystie said: “Boroughmuir have continued playing an expansive and offloading game, therefore a quality defence display is key if we are going to get anything from this match.This is sure to be another cracker of a game with both teams looking to play an exciting brand of rugby and continue to improve from weeks gone by.”Elsewhere in the capital, Currie welcome Ayr who, after narrowly defeating Glasgow Hawks 31-32 last weekend, look to build on the momentum they have built in recent weeks.Ayr however, are aware that Currie have stepped up their game since the two teams last faced each other, but Calum Forrester hopes his west coast men can overpower Currie following their defeat to Watsonians last weekend.Heriot’s host Watsonians in an Edinburgh derby at Goldenacre as both hope to continue their recent form, having both won last weekend – Heriot’s 29-15 against Stirling County, and Watsonians a narrow but significant 29-27 victory over Ayr.Gala travel to Glasgow to take on Hawks following what Head Coach, Chris Dalgleish, called an “encouraging performance” against Boroughmuir last weekend, and hope another win will help them edge up the table. Following their defeat to Ayr two weeks ago, Hawks are struggling to regain their form that took them to the number one spot, and hope that this week’s fixture against Gala will be the start of better things to come.Hawick Head Coach Nikki Walker says that after a positive performance against Melrose (3-14), the Borders’ team need to make gains in order to turn their efforts into league points in their match against Stirling County on Saturday.Stirling County, on the other hand, look to bounce back after their 29-15 away defeat to Heriot’s last weekend.Boroughmuir v Melrose will be live-tweeted from @Scotlandteam with match build-up from 2pm. Clubs from across BT National Leagues 1, 2 and 3 will also continue their season on Saturday. For a full list of fixtures, visit scottishrugby.org. BT Premiership Round Ten (Saturday 29 October)Boroughmuir v Melrose, Meggetland, 3pmBoroughmuir:Greg Cannie; Jordan Edmunds, Ronan Kerr, Mark Hare, Grant McConnell; Chris Laidlaw, Nathan Fowles; Dale Robertson, Tristan King, Dan Winning, Matt Tweddle, Jamie Ure, Andy Rose, Matt Walker, Craig Keddie. Replacements: Stuart Clark, Tom Gracie, Aubrey Mncube, Dougie Steele, Alex Cox.  Melrose: Fraser Thomson; Ross McCann, George Taylor, Craig Jackson CAPTAIN, Austin Lockington; Jason Baggott, Murdo McAndrew; Jamie Bhatti, Russell Anderson, Ruairi McLeod, James Head, Lewis Carmichael, Neil Irvine Hess, Ruaridh Knott, Iain Moody. Replacements: Richard Ferguson, Dan Elkington, Ali Grieve, Nyal Godsmark, Richard Taylor.  Heriot’s v Watsonians, Goldenacre, 3pmHeriot’s: Charlie Simpson; John Rae, Junior Rosalea, John Semple CAPTAIN, Harry Boisseau; Alex Hagart, Andrew Simmers; Martin Bouab, George Turner, Rhuaridh Mitchell, Callum Marshall, Russell Nimmo, Michael Maltman, Jack McLean, Struan Dewar. Replacements: Michael Liness, Gavin Cameron, Clarke Smith, Ewan Fox, Gavin Parker.Watsonians: Keith Young; Scott McLeod, DJ Innes, Tom Hart, Max Mcfarland; Andrew Chalmers, Reiss Cullen; Martin Christie CAPTAIN, Sean Crombie, Calum Eastwood, Matt Poole, Craig Borthwick, Kenny Beattie, Angus Duckett, Euan Dods. Replacements: Darren Miller, Nathan Borel, Thomas Lapeyre, Euan McKirdy, Ali Harris.  Currie v Ayr, Malleny Park, 3pmCurrie: Harvey Elms; Ben Robbins, Robbie Nelson, Cameron Hutchison, Cameron Gray; Matt McPhillips, Richard Sneddon; John Cox, Fergus Scott, Graeme Carson, Hamish Bain, Stephen Ainslie, Luke Crosbie, Thomas Gordon, Ross Weston CAPTAIN. Replacements: AP McWilliam, Jarrod Firth, Scott McGinley, James Bywater, Charlie Shiel.Ayr: Grant Anderson; Richard Dalgleish, Archie Russell, Ross Curle, Craig Gossman; Frazier Climo, David Armstrong; George Hunter, David Young, Steven Longwell, Robert McAlpine, Scott Sutherland, Ruaridh Mackenzie, Will Bordill, Pete McCallum CAPTAIN. Replacements: Lewis Anderson, Robbie Smith, Blair Macpherson, Paddy Dewhirst, Stafford MacDowall.Glasgow Hawks v Gala, Old Anniesland, 3pm Glasgow Hawks: Jack Steele; Erland Org, Bobby Beattie, Brendan McGroarty, Kerr Gossman; Josh Henderson, George Horne; Steven Findlay, Paul Cairncross, Gary Strain, Andy Redmayne, Andrew Kirkland, Matt Fagerson, Grant Stewart, Tommy Spinks CAPTAIN. Replacements: Brendan Cullinane, Craig Brodie, Sam Thomson, Sean Yacoubian, Leigh Tyley.  Gala: Rory Scholes; Alex Northam, Lewis Berg, Paul Hendry, Craig Robertson; Gregor Hunter, Connor Adams; Chris Keen, Matt Carryer, Dean Brooker, Rob Louw CAPTAIN, Opeta Palepoi, Gary Adams, Stevie Cairns, Harry Borthwick. Replacements: Curtis Reynolds, Cammy Pate, Alan Emond, Gregor Mein, Ross Combe.Hawick v Stirling County, Mansfield Park, 3pmHawick: Ali Weir; John Coutts, Gary Johnstone, Kyle Brunton, Wesley Hamilton; Lee Armstrong, Greg Cottrel; Shaun Muir, Fraser Renwick, Callum Mackintosh, David Lowrie, Bruce McNeil CAPTAIN, Ross Gibson, Stuart Graham, Keith Davis. Replacements: Matt Landels, Gary Douglas, Dylan Harlen, Bruce Campbell, Neil Renwick.Stirling County: Jonny Hope; Jake Cresswell, Craig Pringle, Ryan Elliston, Logan Trotter; Ross Jones, Matt Donaldson; Mike MacDonald, Reyner Kennedy, Adam Nicol, Hamilton Burr, Callum Hunter-Hill CAPTAIN, Ruaridh Leishman, Shaun MacDonald, Alex Taylor. Replacements: Matt Emmison, Fergus Bradbury, Harry Henderson, David Montgomery, Colin Turnbull.      

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