BT Premiership Preview: Table Toppers Melrose travel to Ayr for a battle of the best

BT Premiership Preview: Table Toppers Melrose travel to Ayr for a battle of the best

This Saturday sees BT Premiership’s last remaining unbeaten teams, Ayr and Melrose, face each other for the first time this season at Millbrae on the west coast at 3pm.Both teams have had an inspiring start to the season – with Melrose winning all of their games with bonus points so far, and Ayr winning all four matches also, three with bonus points.Melrose and Ayr have more than shown their ability to secure wins away from home as well which is vital to success in this league; as Melrose conquered Gala away 27-43 and Ayr overpowered Hawick away 28-43 last weekend.Whichever team doesn’t win the battle of the scoreboard will still want to secure a losing bonus point as the point difference between the two could be significant later in the season.Ayr head coach, Callum Forrester, has made very few changes to his starting line-up in what he calls a settled squad, and welcomes Warriors’ Djustice Sears-Duru to his bench in his first outing at Ayr.Forrester notes the challenge ahead for his boys but anticipates a well fought match: “Rob has got his team playing well this season with Melrose scoring points for fun and posing threats right across the team. Likewise, our performances have been improving over the past few weeks and with both teams looking to preserve their unbeaten start to the season it is set to be a great match this Saturday.Ayr and Melrose have enjoyed a number of fierce encounters in recent years and we look forward to the challenge that lies ahead at Millbrae this weekend.”Melrose head coach, Robert Chrystie, has made several changes to his starting line up; with Ruaridh Knott coming in for Lewis Carmichael, and Craig Jackson joins the back line in place of George Taylor who is being rested after a run of five games for the side.Nyle Godsmark also makes his return to the first team squad having recovered from injury.  Chrystie spoke about the fixture: “This week’s game against Ayr is sure to be exciting with both teams scoring an accumulation of 329 points in the last four rounds of games.We go into this game under no illusions, understanding only an excellent performance will allow us to compete for victory.”He added: “Ayr are clearly the favourites being the home team but we will travel through on Saturday focused on our own game and looking forward to the challenge of playing one of the best sides in the competitions…games such as this are what makes the Premiership an excellent product, both teams are playing with some ambition, hopefully we get a good crowd and a decent day.”Elsewhere, Stirling County welcome Gala who lead Stirling in the table 7 points to 6, so there is all to play for at Bridgehaugh as a win will enable either side to edge up the table.The ‘Muir travel to Mansfield Park and aim to improve following their narrow defeat against Heriot’s last Saturday, whilst hosts Hawick still look for their first win of the season.   Last season’s champions, Heriot’s, face Glasgow Hawks who became the first team to conquer newcomers Watsonian’s last weekend, and will look for another win despite being away from home at Goldenacre.Hawks’ head coach, Finlay Gillies, is hopeful that experienced New Zealand All Black, Corey Flynn, who has been released as part of the Pro player draft.Watsonians will try to rectify their defeat against Hawks when they take on Currie at Myreside on Saturday, hoping the home advantage will help them return to winning ways and remain in the top four, whilst Currie look to build on their first win of the season last week against Stirling County.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 five (Saturday 24 September) Ayr v Melrose, Millbrae, 3pm Ayr: Grant Anderson CAPTAIN; Danny McCluskey, Archie Russell, Ross Curle, Craig Gossman; Frazier Climo, David Armstrong; George Hunter, James Malcolm, Steven Longwell, Robert McAlpine, Scott Sutherland, Will Bordill, Gregor Henry, Blair Macpherson. Replacements: David Young, Djustice Sears-Duru, Craig Stevenson, Cameron Taylor, Jamie Bova.       Melrose: Fraser Thomson; Ross McCann, Richard Taylor, Craig Jackson, Austin Lockington; Jason Baggott, Murdo McAndrew; Jamie Bhatti, Russell Anderson, Nick Beavon, James Head, Ruaridh Knott, Neil Irvine Hess, Grant Runciman CAPTAIN, Ian Moody. Replacements: Cammy Mckay, Dan Elkington, Ali Grieve, Struan Hutchison, Nyle Godsmark.  Stirling County v Gala, Bridgehaugh, 3pmStirling County: Jonny Hope CAPTAIN; Craig Pringle, Jake Cresswell, Fraser Lyle, Bruce Sorbie; Ross Jones, Nemia Kenatale; Mike MacDonald, Reyner Kennedy, Adam Nicol, Hamilton Burr, Adam Sinclair, Ruairidh Lieshman, Struan Robertson, Alex Taylor. Replacements: Matt Emmison, Colin Hutton, Shaun McDonald, Colin Turnbull, Ryan Elliston. Gala: Graham Speirs CAPTAIN; Paul Hendry, Lewis Berg, Rex Jeffery, Craig Robertson; Gregor Hunter, George Lott; Chris Keen, Matt Carryer, Gary Robertson, Opeta Palepoi, Chris Weir, Gary Adams, Josh Irvine, Rob Louw. Replacements: Curtis Reynolds, Dean Brooker, Alan Emond, Gregor Mein, Craig Dods.  Hawick v Boroughmuir, Mansfield Park, 3pmHawick: Kirk Ford; Neil Renwick, Gary Johnstone, Grant Huggan, Wesley Hamilton; Lee Armstrong, Bruce Campbell; Shaun Muir, Fraser Renwick, Callum Mackintosh, Michael Robertson, Bruce McNeil CAPTAIN, Ross Gibson, Stuart Graham, Keith Davies. Replacements: Matt Landels, Terry Skeet, Dylan Harlen, Kyle Brunton, Sam Bandeen.Boroughmuir: Dougie Steele; Grant McConnell, Ronan Kerr, Mark Hare, Jordan Edmunds; Chris Laidlaw, Sam Johnson; Ross Dunbar, James Bett, Dale Robertson, Jamie Ure, Rory Woodland, Craig Keddie CAPTAIN, Matt Walker, Aubrey Mcube. Replacements: Stuart Clark, Dan Winning, Murray Johnstone, Alex Cox. Heriot’s v Glasgow Hawks, Goldenacre, 3pmHeriot’s: Gavin Parker; Harry Boisseau, Liam Steele, Rory Carmichael CAPTAIN, Josh Laird; Alex Hagart, Andrew Simmers; Martin Bouab, George Turner, Struan Cessford, Russell Nimmo, Clarke Smith, Struan Dewar, Jack McLean, Callum Marshall. Replacements: Michael Liness, Murray McCallum, Euan Jackson, John Semple, Jordan Webster.Glasgow Hawks: Jack Steele; Junior Bulumakau, Bobbie Beattie, Brendan McGroarty, Kerr Gossman; George Horne, Garyson Hart; Steven Findlay, Corey Flynn, Gary Strain, Andrew Linton, Andrew Kirkland, Andy Hill, Grant Stewart, Tommy Spinks CAPTAIN. Replacements: Paul Cairncross, Brendan Cullinane, Sam Thompson, Sean Yacoubian, David Milne.   Watsonians v Currie, Myreside, 3pmWatsonians: Rory Steele; Mark Bertram, Scott McLeod, DJ Innes, Joe Helps; Andrew Chalmers, Euan McKirdy; Martin Christie CAPTAIN, Sean Crombie, Shaun Ruwers, Fraser Morrison, Craig Borthwick, Villiami Fihaki, Angus Duckett, Euan Dods. Replacements: Darren Miller, Nathan Borel, Diarmaid Dee, Reiss Cullen, Ally Davidson.Currie: Harvey Elms; Chris Davies, Matt Hooks, Robbie Nelson, Cameron Gray; Jamie Forbes, Charlie Shiel; John Cox, Fergus Scott, Graeme Carson, Gary Temple, Stephen Ainslie, Rhys Davies, Thomas Gordon, Ross Weston CAPTAIN. Replacements: Paul Mundell, AP McWilliam, Dan Marek, Cameron Smith, Richard Sneddon.  

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