Gala offer threat to Melrose again
KING OF THE SEVENS SERIES The competition reaches its halfway stage today at Milntown where Langholm stage the 96th playing of their annual ‘sports’ before decamping to Peebles for tomorrow’s sixth round of the 10-tournament rugbython, writes Alan Lorimer.
Melrose, winners at Gala and Hawick, are the current leaders in the ‘Kings’ title race and will look to extend their eight-point advantage over Gala this weekend. But Melrose, the current holders, will be without two of their key sevens players, scrum-half Bruce Colvine and flanker Grant Runciman, both of whom have set off for New Zealand to further their rugby experience.
The Greenyards side have named their captain and Scotland sevens cap, Andrew Skeen, in their squad for Langholm, despite the Melrose playmaker having missed the Border League final on Wednesday through injury.
Gala, buoyed by their win in that final, produced winning form at Berwick on Sunday and could overtake their near neighbours this weekend, althought they face Edinburgh Accies, the Hawick Sevens runners-up, in the first round, and a possible quarter-final against Hawick or Selkirk.
Tomorrow, at Peebles, Gala are drawn against one-time sevens super power Stewart’sMelville while Melrose have the Berwick semifinalists, Selkirk, in the opening round.
Chasing Melrose and Gala are Watsonians and Edinburgh Accies. Watsonians, who are drawn against Accies at Peebles tomorrow, have a first-round tie today with Northumberland County, who, along with Orkney, Denmark and RHC Cougars, are making first appearances at the Milntown tournament. Orkney are also in the Peebles draw – the islanders have been paired with Musselburgh in the first round – and there is a return to the Gytes for Howe of Fife, whose only other appearance on the Borders circuit this season was at Melrose. DETAILS Langholm Sevens. Rd 1 Kelso v RHC Cougars, Melrose v Peebles, Orkney v Jed-Forest, Watsonians v Northumberland, Denmark v Selkirk, Hawick v Berwick, Langholm v Dumfries, Edinburgh Accies v Gala Peebles Sevens. Rd 1 Boroughmuir v Kelso, Howe of Fife v Biggar, Edinburgh Accies v Watsonians, Melrose v Selkirk, Orkney v Musselburgh, Jed-Forest v Hawick, Peebles v Berwick, Stewart’s-Melville v Gala Standings (after 3 rds) 1 Melrose 28pts, 2 Gala 20, 3 Watsonians 15, 4 Edinburgh Accies 14
ON A MISSION: Vern Cotter will be hoping Clermont’ poor away form does not haunt them at Twickenham.