Win No 2 of season for Gala but Jed-Forest and Peebles lose out

That 84-point deficit is the Borderers’ biggest losing margin since a 106-14 thumping away to Stirling County in March at the end of last season and it leaves head coach Michael Harshaw’s side second to bottom of the table, on six points from as many fixtures.

Ewen Robbie’s Gala are one place above them, on 11 points from half a dozen games, after chalking up their second win of the season at home to Biggar at Netherdale at the weekend, by 29-21.

Jed’s sole try at the capital’s Raeburn Place was touched down by Robbie Davidson, making his debut for the club at openside flanker.

Making up the rest of the visitors’ starting XV, captained by No 8 Garry Young, were Shem Tororey, Ryan Briggs, Jack Taylor, Clark Skeldon, Lewis Stewart, Dougie McNeill, Robbie Douglas, Aaron Weatherhead, Robbie Shirra-Gibb, Finn Scott, Matthew Palmer, Matthew Beaton and Lewis Young, with Harshaw, Paulo Ferreira, Robbie Thomson, Charlie Lewis and Finn Purves as replacements.

Gala’s try-scorers were lock Glenn McCrum, left-winger Ben Gill at the double, openside flanker Sam Smith and right-winger Cameron Brydon, with Brydon adding two conversions.

Also in their starting line-up, with lock Craig Keddie skippering, were Jack Niven, Murray Wilson, John Turnbull, Hamish Seggie, Kye Jones, Robbie Irvine, Daniel Kerr, Michael Angus, Xavier Herbert and Connor McKay, with Grant Stevenson, Eddie Eyre, Jamie Bell, Gavin Fisher and Rory Wilson as substitutes.

Jed are at home to third-placed Stirling at Riverside Park this Saturday and Gala are on the road at fifth-placed Boroughmuir, both 3pm kick-offs.

Jed lost last season’s corresponding fixture 72-15 last October, as did the Maroons, by 39-30 later that same month, though they did get the better of the Edinburgh outfit in Galashiels in January by 21-14.

A division down, Peebles are still waiting for their second win of the season after losing out by 31-24 away to Highland in Inverness on Saturday.

That was the Gytes side’s fourth defeat of this term and it leaves them seventh in the table, on 12 points from six fixtures.

Lock Hamish Bell, inside-centre Steven Hamilton and full-back Donald Anderson scored their tries in Inverness, with fly-half Cree Britee-Steer converting all three and also kicking a penalty.

Captained by scrum-half Jack Hamilton, their other starters were Cameron Grant, John Gray, Lewis Copeland, Euan Murray, Robert Harrison, Ewan Hunter, Tom Weir, James Dow and Max Maciver, with Ru Smith, William Hamilton, Rory Bell and Andy Duncan on the bench.

Head coach Graeme Paterson’s team are away to second-from-bottom Dundee this Saturday and that’s a 3pm kick-off too.

That’s the two teams’ first meeting since their relegation from National 1 in the summer, with the Pees having lost 22-21 away to Dundee last season a year ago before going on to win 38-20 at home to them in February.