Derbies on way at double as rugby’s Border League returns

Jed-Forest tackling Euan Thompson during a 61-0 pre-season friendly defeat away to Berwick on Saturday (Photo: Stuart Fenwick)

Rugby’s Border League returns this coming Saturday and its new campaign will kick off with derbies pitting two of the region’s four Scottish Premiership sides against opposition from the division below.

Top-flight Kelso will host Scottish National League Division 1’s Gala and fellow premiership outfit Selkirk are on the road to Jed-Forest, relegated from Scottish club rugby’s top tier earlier this year.

Last campaign’s corresponding match-ups yielded a 28-17 stand-alone win on the road at Netherdale in Galashiels for Kelso in April and a 65-35 home victory at Philiphaugh for the Souters in a premiership double-header last September and they went on to notch up a winning double in the reverse fixture in November in Jedburgh, recording a 33-12 victory counting only for the top flight’s standings.

Kelso’s try-scorers against Gala were Murray Woodcock, Robbie Tweedie, Ashton Asante and James Glendinning, with Angus Utterson adding four conversions.

Craig Bruce on his way to scoring a try for Selkirk during a 55-40 pre-season friendly win at home to GHA on Saturday (Photo: Grant Kinghorn)

Their hosts’ tries were scored by Tim McKavanagh, Liam Scott and Kyle Scott, with Ethan Wilson adding a conversion.

Selkirk’s try-scorers hosting Jed were Callum Anderson, Andrew Grant-Suttie, Andrew McColm, Scott McClymont, Aaron McColm, Finlay Wheelans at the double, Jake Millburn, Josh Welsh and Andrew Cochrane, with Cameron Easson adding five conversions and a penalty and Anderson also contributing a conversion.

Touching down for their visitors from Jedburgh's Riverside Park were Elliot Lauder at the double, Mark Glen, Clark Skeldon and Robbie Shirra-Gibb, with Gary Munro converting all five of their tries.

Jed and Selkirk both played warm-up friendlies on Saturday gone ahead of their return to action, the former losing 61-0 away to Scottish National League Division 2 side Berwick and the latter winning 55-40 at home to National 1’s Glasgow Hutchesons’ Aloysians for the Breathing Space Trophy.

Lewis Young on the ball for Jed-Forest during a 61-0 pre-season friendly loss away to Berwick on Saturday (Photo: Stuart Fenwick)

Berwick’s try-scorers at Scremerston were Cammy Rogerson at the double, Aidan Rosie with three, Euan Thompson, Jack Dalrymple, Ben Simmonds and Ewan Tait.

Selkirk’s against GHA were Blake Cullen and Anderson with two each, plus Craig Bruce, Grant-Suttie, James Bett, Kieran Westlake and Lachlan Ferguson.

All but one of the four teams getting proceedings under way on Saturday, with kick-offs at 3pm, are under new management.

Gordon Henderson carries on at Selkirk but Bruce McNeil and Nikki Walker have taken over from Kevin Utterson at Kelso’s Poynder Park, Ewen Robbie is now in charge at Netherdale and Stuart Johnson has added Jed to his CV after prior stints as gaffer at Melrose, Hawick and Gala.