Ayr welcome back influential pair for final showdown with Melrose

Scotland Sevens cap Anderson starts at full-back in place of Dougie Steele after returning from holiday, while club international and last year's top flight player of the season Reid replaces veteran prop Gordon Sykes.

They are the only changes to the side that edged past Boroughmuir six days ago in the semi-final at Meggetland, meaning the experienced Glen Tippett has to be content with a place on the bench given the form of Rob Colhoun, Paul Burke and Andy Dunlop in the back-row.

Elsewhere the starting line-up has a familiar look to it with Mark Stewart and young talent Mark Bennett once again paired in the centres, while the powerhouse duo of Damien Kelly and Scott Sutherland are set for a big afternoon.

Ayr assistant coach Peter Laverie said: "The guys are very excited ahead of the match and we have picked the team that we think can go out and hopefully retain the trophy.

"It was great to see all the supporters at Murrayfield last year and we know they will be out in good force again this year, but we are expecting a very tough contest."

Melrose head to the national stadium with Gary Elder back in the second-row after he sufficiently recovered from the injury that saw him sit out their last league match against Dundee HSFP. He replaces Kiwi Hayden Mitchell and will pack down alongside Ross Miller.

Rob Chrystie and Scott McCormick have battled it out all season for the scrum-half berth, but head coach Craig Chalmers has given the nod to the former, who will start.

And Allan Dodds, who was on such good form as the Greenyards club won their own sevens last weekend, starts on the left wing with Edinburgh's Lee Jones unavailable for this competition.

Melrose captain Scott Wight said: "When you are heading to Murrayfield to try and beat Ayr it doesn't get much bigger than this in the club game and we are all excited.

We have improved a lot since we were here 12 months ago and we have to stay focused and concentrate on our own game."

Last season of course the two teams also met in the final - then known as the Scottish Cup - and from the Ayr team that were victorious 36-23 that day seven of the players who started are also starting tomorrow.

Eleven of the Melrose team that started that match are once again in the starting XV and it is shaping up to be a cracker with the teams also due to meet in Premier One next weekend.

Before the big one there are two other men's finals being played at Murrayfield.

National One champions Lasswade will be glad that key man Gavin Brown has managed to recover from a broken nose to take his place at No 8 in their team to take on Hawick YM in the National Shield. Another of Lasswade's experienced players - Carl McWilliam - misses out though and Jamie Carmichael will start the match at full-back.National Two champions Hawick YM head into the match on a high with 23 wins out of 23 in league and cup under their belts this term. Head coach Jammy McFarlane has made just one change to the side that defeated Linlithgow in last week's semi-final, Alistair Weir starting at full-back in place of Neil McColm who is on the bench.

Duns and Strathendrick meet in the Regional Bowl final with the Borderers having restored a number of players to the side after resting them for last week's East One draw with Lismore.

And Strathendrick, still gunning for the West One title, have everyone available meaning that father and son Sandy and James Cuthbertson will be lining up together and ex-Scotland cap Rory Kerr will start in the centre.

Three ladies finals also take place on the back pitches tomorrow with Hillhead/Jordanhill facing Murrayfield Wanderers, who are unbeaten this season, in the Sarah Beaney Cup final.

TEAMS FOR MURRAYFIELD FINALS

PREMIER CUP FINAL (4pm)

Melrose: Fraser Thomson; Calllum Anderson, Jamie Murray, Joe Helps, Allan Dodds; Scott Wight (c), Rob Chrystie; Nick Beavon, Wayne Mitchell, Gary Holborn, Gary Elder, Ross Miller, John Dalziel, Graeme Dodds, Grant Runciman. Subs: Graham Innes, Nicky Little, Hayden Mitchell, Stuart Johnson, Scott McCormick, Craig Jackson, Cammy Murray.

Ayr: Grant Anderson; Steven Manning, Mark Bennett, Mark Stewart, Cammy Taylor; Ross Curle, AJ McFarlane; Gordon Reid, Stephen Adair, Andrew Kelly, Scott Sutherland, Damien Kelly (c), Rob Colhoun, Andy Dunlop, Paul Burke. Subs: Stewart Fenwick, Gordon Sykes, Scott Nimmo, Dean Stewart, Glen Tippett, Dougie Steele, Richard McCallum.

NATIONAL SHIELD (2pm)

Lasswade: Jamie Carmichael; Kyle Smith, James Elliot, Bernie Hennesey, Niall Gray; Nick Wood, Neil Clark; Dale Robertson, Graeme Cook, Mark Billingham (c), Dougie Grant, Donald Hearn, Richard Borthwick, Gavin Brown, Craig Quigley. Subs: Joe Taylor, Rory Mackenzie, Neil Durie, Gavin Sharp, Blair Smith, Alistair Elliot, Russell Gladstone.

Hawick YM: Alistair Weir; Chris Ritson, Scott McLeod, Dean McCracken, Glyn Despot; Lee Armstrong, Bruce Campbell; Billy Lilly (c), Garry Douglas, Alistair Turnbull, Steven Mabon, Lewis Mallin, Craig Robson, Ross Gibson, Stephen Hill. Subs: Neil McColm, Gregor Welsh, Shaun Despot, Graeme Cannon, Ryan Halliday, Ross Taylor, Jamie Tinlin.

REGIONAL BOWL (noon):

Duns: Dale Robertson (c); Ryan Selkirk, Kevin Aitchison, Scott Lindsay, David Hutchinson; Ged Lamb, Danny Lamb; Scott McCraw, Cammy Hill, Alexander Auld, James Thorburn, James Weir, Chris Blaikie, Russell Nimmo, Jamie Renton. Subs: Chris Archer, Barry Hamilton, Colin Tait, Richard Burns, Stuart Blyth, Dane Ivison, Stephen Cooke.

Strathendrick: Steven Bastock; Dougie Porteous, Rory Kerr, James Cuthbertson (c), Ruairidh McLaughlin; Sam Greenock, Paul Bastock; Dougie Spence, Stuart Forsyth, Sandy Cuthbertson, Ruairidh Clark, Duncan McEwen, Gavin Scott, Ewan Mackay, James Ogilvie. Subs: Mark Scott, Connor Gibson, David McGuffie, William Kay, Drew MacDonald, Kyle Campbell, Peter Sunderland.