Honours even as Selkirk and Peebles kick off latest campaigns in rugby’s Border League

With neither head coach Derek O’Riordan’s hosts, currently seven points adrift at the bottom of Arnold Clark National League Division 1, nor opposite number Graeme Paterson’s visitors, third in the division below, called upon to supply personnel for the South of Scotland match-day squad that beat Edinburgh’s district side 38-33 at Musselburgh that evening, the two teams were free to kick off their latest Border League campaigns.

That was the second stand-alone fixture played in the competition so far this term and third game overall, half a dozen down on the nine that had been contested by the start of last November, though four of those were Arnold Clark Premiership double-headers.

It leaves the Souters and Pees level on two points in the three-team pool they share with top-flight Kelso, yet to play in the competition but due to go up against the latter on the road on Friday, November 20, with kick-off at the Gytes at 7.30pm.

Hawick top the other pool, level with Melrose on five points, and Gala and Jed-Forest are both on zero points, the former being yet to play their first fixture of this season, that being away to Hawick on November 20, also at 7.30pm.

Full-back Blake Cullen scored both of Selkirk’s tries against Peebles last week at their Philiphaugh home ground, with scrum-half Oliver McClymont converting one of them.

Touching down tries in reply for their visitors were scrum-half Jack Harrison and hooker Matt Carryer, with fly-half Liam Irvine adding one conversion.

Selkirk return to National 1 duty this coming Saturday, hosting Boroughmuir, with kick-off at 3pm, and they go into that game on eight points from nine fixtures, five places and 21 points worse off than the visiting Edinburgh outfit.

Gala and Jed also have National 1 games lined up at the same time, respectively at home to Glasgow Academicals and away to Musselburgh.

Head coach Ewen Robbie’s Maroons are currently second in the table on 35 points, with opposite number Michael Harshaw’s Jed eighth on 17, both from nine matches. The former’s visitors are fourth on 33 and the latter’s hosts are fifth on 29, both halfway into the season too.

Peebles take a break from National 2 business this Saturday to play National 4’s Linlithgow away in round one of this season’s national league cup and that’s a 1.30pm start.