​Future looking brighter for Knights after third win of Fosroc Super Series Championship rugby season

​Saturday’s 35-31 victory against the Fosroc Future XV at the Greenyards in Melrose saw the Borderers do the double against the new development side but, like their previous win against them, by 39-38 at the end of July, it was a close-run thing.

Winger Aidan Cross scored a hat-trick of tries for the hosts, with Chris Bell and Sam Derrick getting their others and Harris Rutherford converting all five.

Ex-Gala winger Kerr Johnston scored two tries for the visitors and former Selkirk prop Callum Smyth, Tom Currie and Amena Caqusau also touched down, with Matthew Urwin adding two conversions and Isaac Coates one.

That result, after seven games apiece, leaves the Future XV still waiting for their first win at the foot of the seven-strong table, on five points, and Knights slap-bang in the middle, on 19.

Next up for Knights is a visit from third-placed Watsonians this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 5.30pm, and victory could see them leapfrog their visitors from Edinburgh, currently on 23 points from seven matches after beating second-placed Ayrshire Bulls 26-21 at home last Friday.

That’s easier said than done, though, as the capital side won the reverse fixture 40-26 in August and have improved since then, according to Tait.

“Back then, they were a bit like us now. They had a lot of injuries at the start,” said the 59-year-old.

“All those players are coming back now.

“I watched their game on Friday night and they beat the Bulls quite convincingly and they look like they’ve got their mojo back.

“It’ll be interesting to see what side they select and what players I can get on the field.”

Looking back over Saturday’s win, Tait added: “We either grab them at the end or lose them at the end.

“It was always going to be tough.

“It’s crazy at the moment. Just getting players in is really difficult.

“We lost Dan Gamble on Friday after he fell off his motorbike on his farm.

“Everything just gets thrown up in the air.

“In preparation terms, last week was a really poor one. We just didn’t have the numbers as players were still injured, and at the last minute, we had to pull in Terry Logan from Kelso, so I must thank them. He came in on Saturday, the day of the game.

“It was never not going to be really difficult as those Future lads are as keen as mustard and they’re getting better as they’ve been together now for six or seven weeks, maybe eight.

“Obviously I was really pleased that we won but I was gutted for them as well as they’re still searching for that first win, and I thought they played exceptionally well.

“They put us under pressure and they didn’t give in.

“This league’s all about the youngsters and developing them, and I thought Kerr Johnston, a Borders lad, really had a great game.”