Round six of the RBS Premiership will see one of the promising forwards in the Scottish club game renew acquaintances with old team-mates tomorrow when Heriot’s meet Aberdeen Grammar at Goldenacre.

Heriot’s lock, Murray Douglas, who’ll go up against his former team this weekend for the first time, said: “I was with Aberdeen Grammar for six seasons and their captain for a time, so it’s going to be strange going up against the players I played with for so long.

“However, I can’t wait to get out there, I’m having a great time at Heriot’s and I’m just really eager to win tomorrow.

“Training has gone well this week and we’re totally focussed on making sure we maintain our recent form, having won four on the trot. Our performances have got better and better so we’re hoping to keep improving.”

Heriot’s and Melrose are at the top of the league with a point separating the two-sides.

Melrose travel to Bridgehaugh where they’ll meet a wounded Stirling County side, who return home after a difficult weekend in the Borders last Saturday.

Gala and Ayr also look to be vying for the top spot sitting two points and three points behind the league-leaders, respectively. They play Edinburgh Accies at Raeburn Place and Hawick at Millbrae.

Gala head coach, George Graham, said: “After a narrow loss to Melrose this week’s game becomes a massive match in terms of where we want to be at the end of the season.

“Everyone has worked really hard in training this week because they know the importance of the result, however Accies are a very ambitious club and like to play an expansive type of game, so we will have to be at our best to contain them and impose our style on them.

“We have the very exciting Grayson Hart available to us this weekend and Richard Todd has earned a place on the bench with consistently good performances for the twos.”

Ayr head coach, Peter Laverie, said: “Hawick have had a difficult start to this Premiership campaign but they enjoyed a good win against Stirling County last week and they will be keen to get another result at Millbrae tomorrow.

“They work very hard for each other and pride themselves on making life difficult for the opposition so the challenge for us is to impose our style of play on the game.

“We were pleased to come away from Old Anniesland with a bonus point win last Saturday but more heartening was the spell of 20 minutes in the second half when the players put together a quality display of high-tempo rugby which demonstrated the standards we’re looking for. “

Currie and Glasgow Hawks conclude this round of fixtures with their match at Malleny Park. All of tomorrow’s RBS Premiership fixtures kick-off at 3pm.

Turning out in the club game this weekend from Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors are Gordon Reid (Aberdeen Grammar), Tom Ryder (Stirling County), Alun Walker (Melrose), Finlay Gillies, Tyrone Holmes (both Glasgow Hawks), Ed Kalman (Ayr), Nikki Walker, Rob McAlpine (both Hawick) and Grayson Hart (Gala).

On Sunday in the Women’s RBS Premier League Melrose take-on Watsonians, RHC Cougars welcome Hillhead/Jordanhill and Stirling County face Murrayfield Wanderers.



Edinburgh Accies v Gala, Raeburn Place, 3pm

Edinburgh Accies team: Nyle Godsmark; Jamie Farndale, Ewen Campbell, Iain Berthinussen, Sam Pecqueur; Alex Blair, Stuart Evans; Alex Allan, Michael Liness, Phil Cringle, Greg Campbell (captain), Andrew Findlater, Robin Snape, Tom Stuart and Hamish Watson.
Replacements: Duncan Morrison, Shaun Strudwick, Callum Reid, Jamie Sole and Ruaridh Bonner.

Gala team: Graham Speirs; Liam Draycott, Chris Auld, Ewan Scott, Grant Sommerville; Andy McLean, George Graham (captain); Rory Sutherland, Russell Anderson, Ewan McQuillin, Chris Weir, Craig Borthwick, Gary Graham, Stevie Cairns and Tom Weir.
Replacements: Callum MacIntosh, Richard Todd, Gary Lowrie, Grayson Hart and Craig Robertson.

Referee: Elia Rizzo (FIR)



Heriot’s v Aberdeen Grammar Rugby, Goldenacre, 3pm

Heriot’s team: Keith Buchan; Max Nimmo, Max Learmonth, Cameron Ferguson, Harry Boisseau; Graham Wilson, OJ Brown; Craig Owenson, Stuart Mustard, Mike McDonald, Murray Douglas, Russell Nimmo, Jack Turley (captain), Alex Henderson and Jason Hill.
Replacements: Nathan Borel, Robbie Tait, Chris Mulligan, Jamie Syme and David McMaster.

Aberdeen Grammar team: Stevie Aitken; Will Wardlaw, Peceli Nacamavuto, Harry Duthie (captain), Angus Rennie; Graeme Clow, Morgan Ward; Gordon Reid, Sean O’Connor, Struan Cessford, Matt McCall, Jamie Metcalfe, Rob Cessford, Tony McGuiness and Tom Preece.
Replacements: Sam Bingham, Matt Schosser, Cameron Turner, Mark Ryan and Luke Earle-Wright.

Referee: Neil Paterson



Stirling County v Melrose, Bridgehaugh, 3pm

Stirling County team: Ben Addison; Graham Lindsay, Archie Russell, Brian Archibald, Rory Hughes; Stuart Edwards, AJ McFarlane; Jamie Bhatti, Reyner Kennedy, Colin Hutton, Ruaridh Leishman, Tom Ryder, Struan Robertson, Sean McDonald and Jamie Swanson.
Replacements: Alex Moffat, Kris Burney, Will Bordill, Stevie Swindall and Joff Hope.

Melrose team: Austin Lockington; Damien Hoyland, Bruce Hutchison, Joe Helps, Callum Anderson; Richard Mill, Bruce Colvine; Nicky Little, Todd Pearce, Nick Beavon, Ross Ovens, Ross Miller, Peter Eccles, Grant Runciman and Graeme Dodds.
Replacements: Richard Ferguson, Gary Holborn, Stuart Johnson, Alun Walker and Andrew Skeen.

Referee: Cammy Rudkin



Currie v Glasgow Hawks, Malleny Park, 3pm

Currie team: George Horne; Harvey Elms, Alex Penman, Ethan Pollock, Ruaridh Smith; Joe Reynolds, Richard Snedden; John Cox, Graeme Carson, Alastair Hamilton, Gary Temple, Mike Vernal, Karl Main, Mark Cairns (captain) and Ross Weston.
Replacements: Joe Roe, Fraser Watts, Elliot Mitchell, Joe Stachan and Jack Broadley.

Glasgow Hawks team: James Gormley; Ally MacLay, Robert Beattie, Jack Steele, Haddon McPherson; Andy White, Paddy Boyer; Steven Findlay, Finlay Gillies, Brendan Gullinane, Andy Linton, Angus Hamilton, Andy Kirkland, Tyrone Holmes and Ross Miller (captain).
Replacements: Jack McFarlane, Craig Bachurzewski, Mateusz Bartoszek, Mike Martin and Ross McLymont.

Referee: Charles Samson



Ayr v Hawick, Millbrae, 3pm

Ayr team: Grant Anderson (captain); Craig Gossman, Richard Dalgleish, Robbie Fergusson, Kerr Gossman; Ross Curle, Peter Jericevich; Denford Mutmangira, David Young, George Hunter, Scott Sutherland, Peter McCallum, Graham Fisken, Andrew Dunlop and Callum Templeton.
Replacements: Fergus Scott, Ed Kalman, Graham Williamson, Murray McConnell and Cameron Taylor.

Hawick team: Neil Renwick; Scott McLeod, Nikki Walker, Gary Johnstone, Steven Anderson; Ally Weir, Jake Evans; Shawn Muir, Lindsay Gibson, Wullie Blacklock, Rob McAlpine, Bruce McNeill, Nick McTaggart, Stuart Graham and Keith Davies.
Replacements: Ross Graham, Liam Launders, Kieran Willison, Lee Armstrong and Greg Anderson.

Referee: James Matthew

This article was posted on 4-Oct-2013, 21:23 by Hugh Barrow.