Some Good Games In Prospect This Afternoon

WEEK TWO of the domestic league season sees some tasty fixtures in both the Tennent's Premiership and National League 1.

Match of the Day looks like being at Malleny Park, where two of the unbeaten sides from Round One lock horns, as Currie Chieftains welcome table-topping Selkirk. I saw Currie storm out of the blocks to all but blow away GHA last week, before they eased-up and lost the second-half. Coach Mark Cairns missed the game at Braidholm, but will be back on the touchline tomorrow, and demanding a full 80 minutes performance, rather than the hours or so his side produced last week.

Mark Cairns will demand an 80 minute show today

If he gets it, Selkirk could be in bother; however, if he doesn't, the visitors could well take advantage.

Marr and Hawick both won on the road last week, so they will be looking to keep their runs going in their opening home league games, against Musselburgh and GHA respectively.

The visiting sides both have young squads, so, with the greatest of respect to both, it is difficult to see them winning at two of the toughest grounds to visit in this league.

The other winning side last week was Aberdeen Grammar, who are in Glasgow tomorrow, to face Glasgow Hawks. This is a hard one to call, Hawks are struggling, but, Grammar have a reputation as notoriously poor travellers, so, anything could happen at Balgray.

The final match in the Premiership sees two of last week's losing sides – Jed-forest and Edinburgh Academical going head-to-head at Riverside. You have to fancy Jed to get their season up and running in this one.

WERE IT NOT in National League 1, the Goldenacre clash of Heriot's Blues and Melrose would be a candidate for MOTD. Both sides opened with a victory and this one is a close call. However, if anything, the Blues side has more experience in key positions, which may prove crucial.

The other clash of last week's unbeaten sides is at Canal Park, where the two promoted sides from NL2, Highland and Biggar meet. I expect home advantage to be crucial in this one, so, favour the Inverness side.

There are a couple of bottom v top clashes in tomorrow's card, with Super 6 “Club XVs” Boroughmuir and Ayr clashing at Meggetland. The young Ayr side are growing in confidence after back-to-back wins over Dundee HSFP in the cup and Watsonians in the league, and they will be looking to build on this tomorrow. 'Muir, however, after last week's big loss, are keen to bounce back and this one might be a tight game.

The Poynder Park clash of Kelso and Stirling Wolves is another meeting of one side (Kelso) which opened with a loss against a team which began with a win. The Wolves will come out roaring, but, Kelso ar home is never an easy game and this one is difficult to call.

The other two games in NL1 will see Gala hosting Cartha-Queen's Park at Netherdale and Watsonians entertaining Dundee HSFP at Myreside. These games are a case of four sides desperate for a win to kick-start their season.

OUR TWO PRO14 sides continue their pre-season build-up to the start of their league today. Glasgow Warriors will entertain Ulster at Scotstoun, keen to atone for the second half collapse which saw them slump to a big defeat, against the same opponents, in Belfast, last weekend.

Dave Rennie has named a stronger-looking starting XV than last week, but, with 19 replacements named, there may well be plenty of changes. Huw Jones, following his World Cup disappointment, in being cut from the final squad, starts at 13 for Warriors.

EDINBURGH are off to Wales, to face Ospreys. They give a debut to new South African flanker Ruan Steenkamp, while Lewis Carmichael returns after over a year out of action.

I inadvertently opened a can of worms yesterday, by using the D word - DISTRICTS. I get the impression, The Junta never wants to hear that word again - they wish Districts to remain wherever the two Grahams - Ireland and Law have interred them; (these two august gentlemen being the only ones around BT Murrayfield who know where everything is buried.)

As far as The Junta is concerned, Districts as we remember them - as a level between the club game and the international one - are ancient history, and, as the song says: “These days are past, and in the past they must remain.” Sure, the romantics among us, most-notably in that southern rugby enclave where things have “Aye Been,” there remains a romantic attachment to the old ways, and a yearning for their return. But, rugby is changing, and the SRU now has a management model which does not include districts.

There was a feeling, when Super-6 was first mooted, that perhaps the six franchises would become de facto district teams, attracting the best local players, happily fed in there by the surrounding smaller clubs. Then the Edinburgh Rugby Establishment flexed its muscles and loe and behold we had this crazy and unworkable idea of three of the six franchises being in the capital - that put paid to the franchises being district teams.

The doom-mongers, who are praying fervently for S6 to fail, may well be right and we eventually end up with a return to Districts, but, for that to happen, we need to have said ta-ta to TCD and his minions - they have too-much invested in S6 to allow it to fail.

So, in the short to medium term, no Districts as we once knew them, in fact, given the way professional rugby is organised, I don’t think old-style Districts have a chance of ever coming back.

I still maintain, however, a revised District set-up, to show case the best of the talent in the ordinary club game, as a stepping stone to Super-6 and the PRO14 teams, this would definitely work.