Melrose buoyed by Bedford win as they face mighty Leinster

THERE are clear parallels between the Scottish club and professional game this weekend as Melrose head to Dublin for their British and Irish Cup match to face a Leinster reserve side the evening before Glasgow Warriors meet the first string in tomorrow’s Heineken Cup match.

Glasgow fly-half Scott Wight starts for his old club Melrose and Cammie Murray will remember outings in the Irish capital for both Edinburgh and Scotland, but, much like Glasgow’s task tomorrow, the hosts will present the stiffest challenge that the Borderers are likely to face this season, with players such as Dave Kearney – the brother of Rob, who proved a dangerous player against Edinburgh last month – Brendan Macken and prop Jack McGrath among eight players named in Leinster’s Heineken Cup squad. McGrath was involved last week against Montpellier.

Just as Glasgow head across the Irish Sea with a win over English opposition, Bath, so Melrose carry with them confidence taken from coming from behind to beat Bedford Blues in their opening cup match at the Greenyards last Sunday.

It is a stiff test and Melrose go into the game as clear underdogs, but that was always the kind of challenge that ‘Rose coach Craig Chalmers relished. He said: “This is another massive game for the club against one of the best rugby sides in Europe. It is a massive challenge for players and all involved with the club, but the boys are buzzing and go to Dublin with a huge belief after our fantastic second-half performance against Bedford Blues.”

The coach is also buoyed by the decision of Nicky Little to leave his native Hawick and join Melrose for a second time, having gone back to Mansfield in the summer, which helps to ease a growing front-row headache afflicting the Premier One champions this season. “Nicky was an important player for us last season and I’m sure he will make a big impression again,” said Chalmers.

Chalmers has made three changes, with Andrew Skeen unavailable due to work, Cammie Murray coming back for Bruce Dick and Stuart Johnson in for the injured Gary Elder, but the benefit the ‘Rose players have comes from the fact that this team does not have many imported players as Ayr do, and have been playing together since August.

Leinster are a professional outfit, but they play very few games as a reserve side, with their 32-18 win over Esher at the start of this competition a rare run-out for the team. If Melrose can produce a performance to rock the Irishmen back on their heels in Donnybrook it will rank up with any achievement of the Borders club.

Leinster: D Kearney; D Hudson, B Macken, C O’Shea, A Conway; N Reid, J Cooney; J McGrath, A Dundon, J Hagan, N Keogh, M Flanagan, C Ruddock (capt), C Gilsenan, L Auva’a. Subs: J O’Connell, T Sexton, J Coughlan, J Conan, L McGrath, C Marsh, A Boyle.

Melrose: F Thomson; A Dodds, J Murray, C Murray, J Helps; S Wight, B Colvine; C Keen, A Walker, N Beavon, S Johnson, P Eccles, G Dodds, D Crawford, R Miller. Subs: R Ferguson, N Little, R Ovens, G Runciman, S McCormick, B Dick, C Hardie.