Premiership Dream Team – 14th December 2019

GRANT MOLLISON retains the No 15 jersey after another impressive performance at the back for GHA as they backed up their win over table-topper Marr last week with another success on the road against Edinburgh Accies.

He is joined in the back three by Logan Gordon-Wooley, who was electric with what little ball he got on the left wing for Hawick, and opposite number Josh Welsh who took his try well for Selkirk.

Robbie McCallum, who scored a good try for GHA, is at outside centre, with Rory Watt, who was excellent in Musselburgh’s win over Glasgow Hawks, on his inside.

Sam Knudson of Aberdeen acquitted himself well at stand-off on a miserable day for Aberdeen Grammar at Riverside, so is selected ahead of Liam Brims who excelled off the kicking tee for Glasgow Hawks; and Danny Owenson is at scrum-half after a man-of-the-match showing for Musselburgh, edging out Gregor Christie of Currie Chieftains.

This weekend’s Premiership match reports –

Currie Chieftains v Marr: visitors claim a rope-a-dope victory

Edinburgh Accies v GHA: disciplined second half performance seals away win

Musselburgh v Glasgow Hawks: hosts move out of the Premiership basement

Jed-Forest v Aberdeen Grammar: Riverside men turn on the style

Hawick shrug off slow start to make it five wins on the bounce

Craig Owenson made a strong case for selection at loose-head prop but the excellent form and huge influence of Hawick’s Shawn Muir since his return from injury makes his a near automatic pick again this week.

Hawick’s scrum domination laid the platform of their Border derby win over Selkirk, so Dale Johnstone made a strong case for selection at tight-head but misses out in this instance to Matias Argiro, who was the cornerstone of a Currie Chieftains pack which dominated Marr at scrum-time, even if all that pressure didn’t do them too much good on the scorecard.

Edinburgh Accies two try hero Sean Crombie is selected at hooker, ahead of Finlay Campbell of Jed, Ollie Rossi of Marr, and Dario Ewing of GHA.

It took a heroic rearguard effort from Marr to claim an excellent win in appalling conditions against nearest challengers Currie Chieftains at Malleny Park. Second-row Fraser Grant led the way with a relentless defensive performance in the heart of the pack, and he is joined in the engine-room by Gregor Law of Jed-Forest  – meaning Daniel Suddon (after another big performance in the engine-room for Hawick against Selkirk), Jamie McCarthy (who led from the front against his former club in GHA’s win over Edinburgh Accies) and Mike Vernel (who was his usual barnstorming self for Currie Chieftains) are all unlucky to miss out.

Mackenzie Pearce and Robert Brown are on the flanks and it could easily have been an all Marr back-row with No 8 Benedict Grant massive in defence and having a couple of big contributions with the ball in hand, but the yellow-card he picked up counted against him.

The competition for that No 8 jersey was fierce. As well as Grant, Bruce McNeil had arguably his best game of the season so far for Hawick, while Ryan Sweeney of Glasgow Hawks and Paddy Brown of Musselburgh got through a lot of hard yards for their respective teams – but Garry Law gets the nod on this occasion after two tries and a generally excellent performance as Jed-Forest bossed their way to a half century of points against Aberdeen Grammar.

15. Grant Mollison (GHA)

14. Josh Welsh (Selkirk)

13. Robbie McCallum (GHA)

12. Rory Watt (Musselburgh)

11. Logan Gordon-Wooley (Hawick)

10. Sam Knudson (Aberdeen Grammar)

9. Danny Owenson (Musselburgh)

1. Shawn Muir (Hawick)

2. Sean Crombie (Edinburgh Accies)

3. Matias Argiro (Currie Chieftains)

4. Fraser Grant (Marr)

5. Gregor Law (Jed-Forest)

6. Mackenzie Pearce (Marr)

7. Robert Brown (Marr)

8. Garry Young (Jed-Forest)

Opinion: time for Gregor Townsend to give Stuart Lancaster a call