Malleny Park cracker expected as form teams Hawick and Currie clash

Tennent’spremiershipleaders Currie Chieftains host thirdplaced Hawick in the top flight this afternoon as the second half of the 2021/22 campaign begins.

Currie have been unstoppable at home to date this term and saw off Musselburgh 61-0 at Malleny Park with another impressive performance last week, but Hawick are in a good run of form themselves and they defeated previous leaders Marr last time out.

They also saw off the Chieftains at Mansfield Park in week one in early September, so this one should be a cracker.

“We are excited to host Hawick at Malleny,” Currie head coach Mark Cairns said yesterday.

“Hawick have been getting stronger as the season has progressed and have already beaten us, so it’s going to be a big challenge. It’s one we are ready for and I am really pleased with how the guys have been playing in recent weeks.”

Shawn Muir, the Scotland Club XV cap, starts at loosehead prop for Hawick after returning from injury with run outs off the bench in the last fortnight.

“Malleny Park is a very hard place to get any sort of result and we know that we will need to be at the top of our game to come away with a result,” Hawick head coach Matty Douglas said.

As mentioned, secondplaced Marr lost at Hawick on their last outing, so they will want to get back on the horse on the road at Balgray versus fourth placed Glasgow Hawks.

Hawks were edged out by top four rivals Edinburgh Accies in a high scoring affair last week and will want to show a better version of themselves than the one that lost 33-7 away to Marr on September 4.

Accies, in fifth place, will start as favourites at Raeburn Place against winless Aberdeen

Grammar. A victory for the hosts would be their third defence of the Bill Mclaren Shield and leave them one home game away from having their name engraved on the trophy.

Seventh plays eighth at Philiphaugh where Selkirk host Jed-forest in a Borders derby, while sixth-placed Musselburgh are at ninth placed GHA.