First wins of new rugby season for Gala and Selkirk but Jed-Forest lose out

Head coach Derek O’Riordan’s Souters won the division’s first Borders derby of this term 38-31 against Jed-Forest and opposite number Ewen Robbie’s Maroons got the better of Glasgow High Kelvinside by 41-22.

Both were bouncing back from opening-day defeats seven days prior, the former by 27-17 away to Edinburgh’s Boroughmuir and the latter by 47-27 at Glasgow Academicals.

Michael Harshaw’s Jed, on the other hand had their first winning start to a season since 2017 brought to a halt seven days on from edging out Musselburgh 37-35 on home turf.

All three of the division’s representatives of the region are on the road this coming Saturday for matches kicking off at 3pm – Jed at Boroughmuir, Gala at Biggar and Selkirk out west at Marr.

Last season’s corresponding National 1 fixtures for Jed and Gala yielded a 26-14 defeat for the former in December and 7-5 win for the latter the month after.

Selkirk last played Marr in Troon back in August 2024 in the Arnold Clark Premiership, losing 40-10, but they won the reverse fixture in the Borders three months later by 13-11.

Jed go into round three of the new season as the Borders’ top dogs in their table, sitting fourth as one of three teams on seven points from two matches, the others being second-placed Boroughmuir and third-placed Musselburgh. Gala are seventh on six points and Selkirk eighth on five.

Selkirk’s try-scorers were right-winger Blake Cullen at the double, loosehead prop Luke Pettie, openside flanker Archie Morris and left-winger Robbie Macdonnell, with scrum-half Alfie Lightfoot, making his first-team debut, adding two conversions and fly-half Aaron McColm kicking another, and they were also awarded a penalty try.

Touching down for Jed at Philiphaugh were lock Jamie Hynd, No 8 Ben Howe, openside flanker Finn Scott, blindside flanker Harry Wright and replacement Ben Ballantyne, with Scott adding three conversions.

That was the Souters’ sixth win in a row versus Jed, following ones by 31-21 away in the Border League in August 2024 and four in the premiership – at home by 65-35 in September 2023 and 36-10 in November 2022 and away by 33-12 in November 2023, 28-19 a year prior and 21-9 the year before that.

Gala’s tries were scored by Connor McKay, inside-centre John Turnbull, No 8 and captain Robbie Irvine, left-winger Ben Gill twice, openside flanker Sam Smith and replacement Dylan Homan, with substitute Cameron Brydon adding two conversions and fly-half Callum Corry one.

Skipper Ben Hutton, Erick Smith, Dan Eakin and Hamish Bottomley scored fifth-placed GHK’s tries, with Adam Anderson kicking one conversion.