How Things Stand After Week Three Of The Club Season

AND THEN there was one. Just three weeks into the Premiership grind and we are down to only one side with a 100% record. That's Currie Chieftains, who posted their third straight bonus point win, in winning over Musselburgh, at Stoneyhill.

This victory sets up a rather tasty encounter at Malleny Park on Saturday, when they entertain second-placed Heriot's Blues, the only other unbeaten side, but two points back, courtesy of dropping points with that Week Two draw at Kelso. Heriot's went second by beating Edinburgh Academical on Saturday. Accies are still third in the table, just ahead of Marr, who remain 'Best in the West' following their narrow win over Hawks, at Balgray on Saturday.

IN National 1, Ayr are the only unbeaten team after three rounds and, as the vagaries of the fixture computer would have it, they face the stiffest test yet of their resolve on Saturday, when they travel to The Greenyards to face second-placed Melrose. Ayr have a four point lead over the 'Rose, but, given the history between these two clubs, we can expect another cracker this weekend.

NATIONAL 3 shows a three-horse race at the top, with Lasswade, Falkirk and Peebles all on 15 points, and separated in that order by points difference. Falkirk and Peebles go head-to-head on Saturday, so something has to give there, while the table-toppers host seventh-placed Berwick.

NATIONAL 4 is headed by Garnock, two points clear of similarly unbeaten Stewartry, courtesy of three bonus point wins. On Saturday, Garnock make the short hop to Greenock Wanderers, still seeking that first win in this, their 150^th season, while the Castle Douglas boys make the lengthy trip to Dunfermline.

CALEDONIA'S Midlands Conference is headed by Panmure, who have chalked up four straight bonus point wins, to put themselves five points clear of Grangemouth Stags. There's a curtailed fixture list on Saturday, so the Stags, if they can overcome third-placed Dundee 2^nd XV, can take advantage of Panmure being idle to pull level at the top.

MORAY RFC top the Caledonia North Conference, by virtue of being the only unbeaten side. They have a three-point advantage over Mackie FP, with Aberdeenshire a further two points away in third.

The top three sides in each Midlands Conference will go forward to the end of season promotion play-offs.

HADDINGTON and LINLITHGOW are setting a fierce pace at the top of the East Region. Both have posted three straight bonus point wins, to pull clear of third-placed Forrester.

Linlithgow had quite a win on Saturday, scraping past Broughton FP by a scoreline of 55-52, now that looks like an entertaining game. Haddington also had something of a high-scoring game on Saturday, winning 40-29 at Royal High.

OVER in the West, Ardrossan Academicals, having dropped out of the National Leagues at the end of last season, are making a determined effort to bounce straight back. Three straight bonus points win has left them as the only unbeaten team in the First Division, and four points clear of Oban Lorne and East Kilbride, with newly-promoted Wigtownshire fourth.

APOLOGIES for the brevity of this post. I am now at the age when you have silly accidents, so slipping and falling down while up my garden has seen me confined to bed and unable to work at my normal pace. Normal service (if this blog can ever be said to be normal) will resume shortly.