Rugby’s Southern Knights hoping to get third time lucky after back-to-back defeats

Southern Knights players joining forces to halt a Heriot's attack on Saturday at Goldenacre (Photo: Jonathan Cruickshank)

The Melrose-based semi-professional side followed up their opening 42-10 loss to Watsonians seven days previously with another defeat in Edinburgh, by 36-22 at Heriot’s, on Saturday.

Head coach Alan Tait’s team play at the Greenyards for the first time in the competition this coming Saturday, though, so they’ll be hoping home advantage will help them get off the mark against Edinburgh A.

That match kicks off at 5pm and will be streamed live on Scottish Rugby and BBC Sport Scotland’s websites.

Sam Derrick getting a tackle in for Southern Knights versus Heriot's (Pic: Jonathan Cruickshank)

Their visitors from the capital go into that game in pole position in the series’ standings, on ten points from two fixtures, nine points better off than their second-bottom hosts.

The Borderers’ tries at the weekend were scored by Allan Ferrie, Robbie Chalmers, James Bett and Callum Grieve, with Grieve adding a conversion.

On the scoresheet for their hosts at Goldenacre with tries were Wallace Nelson and captain Iain Wilson at the double and ex-Knight Sam Pecqueur, with Ross Jones adding a penalty and four conversions.

Former Scottish international Tait was disappointed to see his side beaten again but pointed to the try bonus point they picked up a minute from the end as a positive, telling the Offside Line rugby news website: “The players are really disappointed.

Heriot's on the ball during their 36-22 win against Southern Knights at the weekend (Pic: Jonathan Cruickshank)

“They are training well and they are desperate for a win, but these things will take time. It is just where we are at the minute

“We are getting done physically in the lineouts and mauls in games and it is hard to win rugby matches when that is happening, but we have to keep the young guys’ heads up.

“There were a number of positives, and the way the team battled to get the bonus point at the end shows the spirit within the group.”

Knights also lost to Heriot’s and Watsonians in their opening two fixtures of last year’s Super6 Sprint Series, as it was then, by 41-24 away and 29-20 at home in April, and had to wait until their last game of the contest, hosting Heriot’s in June, for their first win, by 19-14, so they’ll be hoping to get off the mark quicker this time round.