Sparks set to fly as Borders rivals clash at Mansfield Park

IT IS difficult to imagine a match with the potential to be more explosive than the Borders derby at Mansfield Park between Hawick and Melrose this afternoon.

Craig Chalmers, the Melrose coach, has not endeared himself to the Greens faithful in recent years by tempting some leading youngsters to switch allegiance and play for the Greenyards club.

Despite two such players, Nick Mactaggart and Lindsey Gibson, returning to their hometown this summer , Hawick lost prop Nicky Little to Melrose at a time when they were sweating over a lack of front-row resources.

Hawick coach Derek 'Deke' Armstrong probably spills green blood when cut, so proud and passionate is he of Hawick, and there are few players, past or present, as intertwined with Melrose as Chalmers.

Throw in the Landels brothers, Danny and Matt and 'Rose flanker John Dalziel - who need little encouragement to throw themselves into anything - and the fact that Hawick have included Mactaggart and Gibson in their squad, while Melrose start with Little at loosehead and ex-Greens Robert Chrystie at scrum-half, and you quickly arrive at the conclusion that this is a powder-keg of a match - a good test for promising young referee James Matthew.

However, Armstrong and Chalmers are also good rugby coaches, keen to see their teams play attractive and entertaining rugby and, in Rory Hutton and Scott Wight, they have talented game controllers with the ability to swing matches their way.

With the heat of a good old Borders derby certain to draw a big support, one can expect a message rammed home several times in the dressing room beforehand of the need to find the right balance between aggression, physicality and discipline, and then two coaches to emerge with fingers crossed that it has sunk in.

Chalmers said: "After letting Ayr off the hook last weekend in a game that we could and should have won, it is very important that we get a positive result at Mansfield Park. But, along with Ayr, Hawick is probably the hardest place to go and get a result. We all know the size of the task ahead. It's great to have Hawick back in Premier One," he added, and smiling broadly, said: "We're looking forward to a warm welcome at Mansfield Park."

The intensity is not expected to be any less fevered at Dundee, where Ayr arrive on a revenge mission strong in their belief that defeat at Mayfield last season - their only other loss was at Currie at the end - cost them back-to-back championships.

In the capital, Currie travel to Goldenacre to meet a Heriot's team that has started the season in bold fashion, with good wins over Watsonians and Stirling, yet with coach Bob McKillop insisting his side has not fired on all cylinders and must improve if they are to overcome a Currie side hunting its first win.Glasgow Hawks are another team with an unbeaten start to protect and with revenge on their minds as Stirling County, their conquerors in the Scottish Cup last season, pitch up at Old Anniesland. Victory over Selkirk at Burnbrae has lifted the West of Scotland camp this week and they head to unbeaten Boroughmuir expecting the set-piece battle to hold the key to whether they can follow it with an away win.

Selkirk and Watsonians clash at Philiphaugh in the final Premier One game of the day in the knowledge that a third defeat on the trot would make for a difficult season, even at this early stage.