Kings of the 7s series rolls into Hawick

ROUND FOUR of the Kings of the 7s series will play out at Mansfield Park in Hawick tomorrow [Saturday] afternoon and, fresh from their success at Melrose last weekend, Watsonians will be hot favourites to extend their six point lead at the top of the rankings table. Craig Borthwick, Rory Steele and Andrew Skeen have dropped out of the Myreside men’s squad, and are replaced by Jack Ferguson, Ewan Fox and former Scotland 7s core squad member Michael Fedo.

And with some of the other leading contenders – including Melrose, Jed-Forest, Edinburgh Accies, Kelso and Selkirk – focussed on their 15-aside responsibilities this weekend, the host club will have set their sights higher than just picking up their first ranking points of the season. Hawick failed to win their own tournament for only the second time in nine years when Gala came out on top 12 months ago, and will be desperate to put that right.

THE TEAMS –

Selkirk: C Whyte, R Cook, F Easson, S Clark, R Banks, R Hamilton, C Wagman, S MacDonald, R Wilson, M Davies.

Melrose: A Grieve, C Fairbarn, B McLean, S Hutchison, T Klein, M Klein, A Hall, L Mallin, I Ligaiviu, G McWilliam.

Kelso: A Common, F Common, T Wichary, C Johnston, A Haig, M Young, C Gillon, G Walker, D Welsh, S Patterson.

Heriot’s: I Wilson, S Dewar, C Marshall, S Simmers, D Martin, R Kay, D Crawford, C Robertson, I Kay, J Rae.

Berwick: A Forrest, B Roden, J Jackson, L Robson, E Grey, B Nicholson, A Rosie, R Miller, A Hutton, A Frost.

Edinburgh Accies: R Wilson, J Pecqueur, A Wood, R Davies, S Kirby, J Paterson, F Morrison, J Bruce, G Spencer, A Cowan.

Hawick: B McNeil, G Graham, S Graham, R McLean, D Redpath, G Munro, A Weir, K Davies, L Ferguson, D Buckley.

Watsonians: C McKill, E Miller, M Fedo, J Ferguson, A Harris, A Davidson, S McKean, J Miller, W Thomson, E Fox.

Peebles: B Davidson, R Britton, T Sloan, D Collins. A McDonald, A Smith, C Thrawl, M Smith, G Ingram, E Jackson.

Jed-Forest: D Grieve, G Young, E Stewart, M Chisholm, S Smith, K Amos, K Slingsby, R Elder, J Hynd, D Wardrop.

Hawick Force: L Stormont, M Renwick, R McLeod, G Welsh, D Lightfoot, G Welsh, K Ford, K Brunton, L Gordon Wooley, M Tait.

Hawick Linden: S Donnelly, M Parker, J Rowley, R Graham, K Rowley, M Mallin, M Bell, E Wood, J Wilson, C Glendinning.

Gala: M Fought, C Jordan, R Jeffrey, R Irvine, G Speirs, R Howarth, R Todd, J Turnbull, K Young, S Wilkinson.

Boroughmuir: C Keddie, M Walker, J Edmunds, T Drennan, E McKirdy, G Cannie, R Kerr, G Welsh, R Scott, M Hare.

2:00pm: Melrose v Kelso

BYE – Selkirk

2.18pm: Heriot’s v Berwick

2.36pm: Edinburgh Accies v Hawick

2:54pm: Watsonians v Peebles

3.12pm: Jed-Forest v Hawick Force

3.30pm: Hawick Linden v Gala

BYE – Boroughmuir

6.30pm: The Final

KINGS OF THE 7S RANKINGS –

23 pts – Watsonians

17 pts – Melrose

14 pts – Gala

13 pts – Edinburgh Accies and Jed-Forest

6 pts – Peebles

 5 pts – Boroughmuir

3 pts – Selkirk, Kelso and Heriot’s

Accies and Jed shoot it out for National One title