Today’s club rugby union prospects
BT PREMIERSHIP
Gala v Heriot’s For the second week in a row, the top four sides, who are covered by four points, meet, with Heriot’s, who took over at the top by beating Ayr, travelling to Netherdale.
Gala, undefeated at home, slipped one place from the top after losing at Melrose and today brings their first big domestic test. Their coach George Graham said: “After the number of errors and number of times we coughed up possession, we will have to up our game if we are to get back on track against Heriot’s, as they are an 80-minute team.”
Phil Smith, the Heriot’s coach, is also seeking improvement on last week, even though his side won. “We are disappointed in the way we were unable to manufacture enough opportunities in the second half to press for the fourth try with its bonus point,” he said.
On a weekend when Edinburgh have retained all their players, both sides are forced into changes, with Smith fielding lock Russell Nimmo but boosted by the Scotland Sevens flyer James Fleming being available for the bench.
Graham has been forced into more starting changes. Shaun Law comes in for winger Brett Thompson, Luke Pettie in for prop Rory Sutherland, Russell Anderson in for hooker Callum Mackintosh, and Craig Dods returns at full back for Ruairi Howarth. Prediction Gala focused Ayr v Melrose Melrose have just beaten the top two back to back, but both games were at the Greenyards and today they make the long trek to Burns Country, where the hosts try to put last week’s defeat behind them. Calum Forrester, the home coach, said: “After last week’s disappointment we are under no illusions over the task in hand against a Melrose side coming to Millbrae full of confidence following their successive wins.”
The Ayr pack has a much-changed look with powerful lock Robert McAlpine fit again and Glasgow pros prop George Hunter and flanker Will Bordill starting along with international prop Jon Welsh, who features for a second week.
John Dalziel, the Melrose coach, can bring Ruiri Knott back to the bench, his hand fracture healed, but has to make a change in the pack where Richard Ferguson comes in at hooker in place of Todd Pearce who has injured a foot. Prediction only away win Glasgow Hawks v Currie As the championship reaches the halfway point, it is a big weekend for teams in the the bottom five, especially in the two games involving two such sides. Hawks and Currie both featured in games settled by a single point last week, with Currie breaking a three-game losing streak to edge three points above Hawks, who lost at Boroughmuir.
There’s a distinctive streak of Glasgow Warriors throughout today’s encounter, with four internationalists in the Currie ranks and another pair, including the club’s captain, plus a further three EDPs, in the home squad. Gregor Townsend, the Warriors coach, said: “A lot of players are with clubs this weekend getting match fitness, with the target of making themselves available for selection in the very important game next week against Treviso, the last one before the PRO12’s two-week break.”
The Hawks coach Jamie Dempsey is hoping to benefit from the experience of Al Kellock and Peter Horne, with the latter having the pleasure of playing with young brother George, the Hawks No.10. Dempsey said: “Our conclusion from recent matches is we must be more clinical in attack to turn the pressure we have had teams under into points.” The Currie side starts with full-back Peter Murchie, centres Richie Vernon and James Downie and hooker Kevin Bryce. Coach Ben Cairns is calling for a big effort saying: “We know Hawks have the potential to leapfrog us in the table as we enter the last couple of games before the mini break.” Prediction Hawks have a good day Stirling County v Edinburgh Accies In the only encounter that is not nip and tuck in the table, bottom-placed Accies travel to Bridgehaugh, having brought relief with their first win in eight starts last week and under pressure to back it up.
County are enjoying a good season, but, stuck in fifth place for three weeks, may have hit their glass ceiling. Their coach Graeme Young is convinced that, but for having their hooker Reyner Kennedy sent off, his troops would have won last week. He starts Cammy Fenton in place of Kennedy, has proven try-scoring centre Archie Russell back from injury but has lost Glasgow No.8 Ryan Wilson who was scheduled to appear for a third successive week but is suffering from a rib problem.
Injuries and unavailabilities have forced Accies into five changes to the side which won last week. The coach Phil Leck has centre Iain Berthuissen available to start while Lewis Niven and Tom Stuart return to the bench. Prediction settled County Hawick v Boroughmuir Boroughmuir broke a four-game losing streak when they beat Hawks by that single point but Bruce Aitchison, their coach, said that the proof of whether a corner had been turned would only be known at full-time today.
Hawick, with only one home win, have dropped to the play-off place, though just three points below their