The Scotsman

Accies in pole position in race for the Premiershi­p

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The BT National League Division One champions will be crowned this afternoon with both Edinburgh Accies and Jed-forest still in the mix to finish top.

The two sides have been battling it out all season and, with their final matches to play, they are both on 99 points with Accies top due to a far superior points difference.

As a result, the men from the capital know a bonus point away win at fifthplace­d Selkirk would see them heading to the BT Premiershi­p, but Jed will be waiting for any late slip up. They are away to fourth-placed Dundee HSFP, so both sides have tricky tasks ahead.

Whoever does end up finishing second will play Glasgow Hawks in a promotion/relegation play-off.

For Accies, the only change to the starting line-up is Callum Ramm replacing Connor Hirini on the wing. Head coach Derek O’riordan said: “There is no hiding what is at stake at the weekend and what rewards could await us on the final whistle, but there are 80 minutes of rugby to get through first.

“Marsh [Selkirk head coach Graham Marshall] made his intentions clear in an interview after their recent encounter with Jed: they are out to do their fellow Borderers a favour because he feels they deserve their place in the Premiershi­p over us.

“We will let him and Selkirk worry about doing Jed a favour and we will worry about ourselves and letting the score take care of itself.”

At Hawthornde­n, Kelso take on Dumfries Saints in the BT National League Cup final. Kelso will start as favourites but Saints head coach Rudi Urbach said: “The form guide usually goes out the window in knock-out rugby, but our respect for Kelso very much remains. This is a new chapter in the club’s history and will offer our players the opportunit­y to create their own legacy.”

Kelso head coach Gary Stevens said: “Playing Dumfries, who we have very little knowledge of, adds some real excitement to the challenge.”

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