Saturday gone’s 37-23 win for the Souters at home to Edinburgh Academical at Philiphaugh, their fourth of this campaign and second five-pointer on the spin, sees them move up one place to fourth at the expense of their visitors and they’re now on 19 points from six fixtures.
Things are also looking up for the Greens after their second win of the season on Saturday, by 43-28 away to Musselburgh, leaving them just two points off the top half of the table, sitting seventh with 14 points from six matches.
Lock Jack Fisher, left-winger Ben Pickles, outside-centre Andrew Grant-Suttie and hooker Corey Tait at the double scored tries for head coach Gordon Henderson’s hosts, with scrum-half Hugo Alderson adding three conversions and two penalties.
Accies’ tries were touched down by left-winger Ethan McVicar and replacement second-rower Richard Thompson, with scrum-half Ross Cadzow converting both and also kicking three penalties.
Hawick's try-scorers in East Lothian were right-winger Charlie Welsh, scrum-half Logan Henry, outside-centre Andrew Mitchell, hooker Russell Anderson, fly-half Jack Hocking and lock Matthew Atkinson, with full-back Kirk Ford adding five conversions and a penalty.
No 8 Michael Badenhorst, openside flanker Finn Duraj, replacement prop Duncan Hodge and scrum-half Jack Rule scored their hosts’ tries, with fly-half Danny Owenson converting all four.
Selkirk co-captain Aaron McColm is glad to see his side in the play-off places ahead of their derby day this Saturday, telling Borders Rugby TV: “It’ll be a typical Border derby, I’d say.
“Hawick will never be easy to beat at Mansfield – it’s a tough place to go – but we’ll go back to the drawing board and see what we can improve and how we can break them down.
“It’s never easy to go to Hawick but we’re aiming for another win.
“It’s a long season. Every week’s hard no matter who you’re playing. Every game’s different, but reagrdless of who you’re playing, it’s going to be a challenging season and it’s very long for us.
“Hopefully, the boys will stay fit and we can push on from now.”
Hawick try-scorer Mitchell is glad to be going into Saturday’s derby on the back of a long-awaited win after a three-game losing streak, saying: “It was massive to get a win.
“We’d had a tough last month to start the season and chucked away a few games we probably had a sniff of winning.
"This is now a big month, so to get the win and the five points is key for us.
“Selkirk at home for our first Border derby this year, and they’re going really well at the moment, will be a tough ask but hopefully we can get the right result.”
Head coach Graham Hogg’s Greens go into Saturday’s derby, kicking off at 3pm, on the back of three wins on the spin against Selkirk under former gaffer Matty Douglas – by 59-3 away in February, 36-8 at home last October and 17-8 at Philiphaugh in October 2022, following a 20-20 draw in August of that year.

1. Selkirk v Edinburgh Academical
Corey Tait scoring his second try for Selkirk during their 37-23 Arnold Clark Premiership win at home to Edinburgh Academical at Philiphaugh on Saturday (Photo: Grant Kinghorn) Photo: Grant Kinghorn

2. Selkirk v Edinburgh Academical
Ben Pickles on the ball for Selkirk during their 37-23 Arnold Clark Premiership win at home to Edinburgh Academical at Philiphaugh on Saturday (Photo: Grant Kinghorn) Photo: Grant Kinghorn

3. Selkirk v Edinburgh Academical
Dylan Bronlund on the ball for Selkirk during their 37-23 Arnold Clark Premiership win at home to Edinburgh Academical at Philiphaugh on Saturday (Photo: Grant Kinghorn) Photo: Grant Kinghorn

4. Musselburgh v Hawick
Logan Henry in possession for Hawick during their 43-28 win away to Musselburgh at Stoneyhill on Saturday (Photo: Malcolm Grant) Photo: Malcolm Grant