ABERDEEN GSFP
Coach Damian Reidy
Captain Rob Seib
Ins Miles McIntosh (Heriot's FP), Mark McLean (Biggar), Kasey Mitchell (Melrose), James Millar (Gordonians)
Outs Murray Done (US), David Millard (Glasgow), Mark O'Brien (Australia), Murray Strang (Hawks)
Key man Kasey Mitchell. His creativity in midfield should take some pressure of Rob Seib, with whom he should have a good working relationship, having been in the same Australian team for five years.
Prediction Have built steadily since going up and may well contend for the title
SECOND
AYR
Coach George Breckenbridge
Captain Glenn Tippet
Ins Scott Lines (Sale), Leith Brunning (New Zealand), Kyle Brunning (returning from New Zealand), Nick Lavell (Australia), Shaun Little (Hawks), Cammy Pollock (East Kilbride), Stuart Fennick (Stewartry), Scott Crawford (Kilmarnock), Stuart Henderson (Whitecraigs)
Key man Scott Lines. The former Sale professional second row, whose experience should ensure plenty of ball once he has re-gained his fitness following injury.
Prediction Have recruited well and should be competitiveseventh
BOROUGHMUIR
Coach Iain Paxton
Captain Ben Fisher
Ins Calum Brown (Murrayfield Wanderers), Chris Capaldi, Graham Kiddie (both Plymouth), Angus Martin (South Africa), Scott Hadden (Merchiston), Steve Ruddick (Saracens), Douglas Brown (Biggar)
Out Chris Cusiter (Borders), Stuart Reid (retired), Ally Warnock (Edinburgh), Nathan Pike, Ally Strockosch, Dave Cunningham, Malcolm Clapperton (all part-time temporary contracts with Edinburgh), Lindsay Graham (Dundee)
Key Man Chris Capaldi. In a powerful back row Capaldi will have to use his year's experience with Plymouth to good effect in replacing Stuart Reid.
Prediction Have lost a a string of highly influential players over the past couple of years and will struggle to keep the silverware comingsixth
CURRIE
Coach Andy Nicol
Captain Kent Rae
Ins Daniel Baikie (Grangemouth), Tim Meadows (Grangemouth), Gavin Scott (Glasgow), Will Lawrie (Australia), Ryan McBride (school), Jamie Phillips (Combined Services), Ben Cairns (Royal High), Gareth Flockhart (Stirling)
Outs Ian Monaghan (Hawks), Andy Kelly (Edinburgh Rugby), Bruce Ward (Ireland), Peirre Luigi (Italy)
Key Man Kent Rae. A captain's performance from the big man in the back row should hold things together, if his discipline remains intact.
Prediction If the new coaching team are as influential off the field as on it they should be among front-runners
FOURTH
GLASGOW HAWKS
Coaches Peter Wright & Rob Ackerman
Captain Ian Leighton
Ins Murray Strang (Aberdeen), Iain Monoghan (Currie), Fergus Thomson (West of Scotland), Robert Currie (Hawick)
Outs Graeme Morrison (Glasgow), Euan Murray (Glasgow), Ian Smith (GHA)
Key Man Colin Shaw. If Hawks can get the ball out to the speedy youngster they will do his professional chances the world of good as well as giving themselves plenty of try-scoring opportunities.
Predition May not be able to sustain the sort of challenge for honours of recent seasonsfifth
GHA
Coach David Wilson
Captain tba
Ins Ross West (Queensland), Ian Smith (Hawks), Alan Brown (Dundee), Stuart Cowan (Otago)
Outs none
Key man Ross West. High hopes have been pinned on the experienced Queensland centre, who, it is hoped, will give the power and precision in midfield that they will need to cope with a difficult season.
Prediction Have done extremely well to get to the top flight, but may find it tough this seasontwelfth
HAWICK
Coach Kevin Barrie
Captain Kevin Reid
Ins Callum Farmer (Peebles), Dan O'Connell (Worcester), Bruce McNeil (Wigtownshire), Scott Welsh (Hawick YM)
Out Neil Stenhouse (Nottingham), Robert Currie (Hawks), Craig Sutherland (Melrose)
Key man Scott Welsh as well as the return of Barrie Keown, who was integral to their back-to-back Championship wins
Prediction This could be a historic season for all the wrong reasons for one of the last two clubs never to have been relegatedELEVENTH
HERIOT'S FP
Coach Phil Smith
Captain Craig Harrison
Ins Alistair Dickinson (Dundee), Ian Wilson (Gala), Simon Bennett (Edinburgh Accies), Ian Nimmo (school), Alan McDonald (school), Graham Smeaton (Edinburgh Accies)
Outs Rory Lawson, Matt Dey, (both Edinburgh), Geoff Cross, Callum Macrae (both Borders), Hugh Gilmour (Spain), Alex Aarvold (Australia)
Key man Stuart Lang. With so many of their creative players taken into the pro ranks the return of Lang will prove vital. His experience and presence should be a guiding influence as they once again try to re-build.
Prediction Have lost important players but still have some quality through the teamthird
MELROSE
Coaches Keith Robertson &
Andy Henderson
Captain Bruce Ruthven
Ins Andrew Skeen (Newcastle), Johnathan Hopwood (New Zealand), Brendan McKerchar (Durham Uni), Graham Innes (Kelso Quins), Craig Sutherland (Hawick), John Weston (New Zealand)
Outs Jamie Blackwood (Wastsonians), Graham Shiel (Stew/Mel), Tom Weir (Gala), Scott Lawson (Glasgow), Kacey Mitchell (Aberdeen)
Key man Toby Lynn. The mobile second row has added weight over the summer and his presence in the middle of the action will be key to forward movement for the Greenyards outfit.
Prediction Face a real battle to put a new team togetherTENTH
PEEBLES
Coach Dave Cockburn
Captain Drew Moore
Ins Graham Calder (Heriot's FP), Ian McIntosh (Musselburgh), Jim Weir (returned from retirement), Sam Purvis (Dunedin, NZ)
Outs Dan Kane (Borders), Callum Farmer (Hawick), Elliot Stevenson (England)
Key man Scott Nichol. His wise head kept them afloat last season. Another masterful performance could do the same again. The fitness of a fireman linked with a rugby brain should do the trick.
Prediction Least fashionable of the top-flight Borders clubs, but very workmanlike with some flairEIGHTH
STIRLING COUNTY
Coaches Ian McLean & Brian Robertson
Captain Bob Wyllie
Ins Sean Renwick (Moseley), Ian Jardine (Falkirk)
Out Gareth Flockhart (Currie), Wayne Barr (Dunfermline)
Key Man Ian Jardine. The return of the former internationalist, who was a part of their championship side will be a useful fillip to the youngsters who are coming through the ranks.
Prediction The team that relies most on homegrown talent and their young side is another year olderNINTH
WATSONIANS
Coach Gary Callander
Captain Graham Haley
Ins Rory Duncan (Eastern Province), Jamie Blackwood (Melrose), Ashley Hall (Natal), Ryan Saunders (New Zealand), Neil Cook (Boroughmuir), Danny Wright (Boroughmuir), Steve Lawrie (Currie), Kenny Taylor (Haddington) Torquil Mathieson (Rosslyn Park)
Out Andy Turnbull (Borders), Steve Begley (Hawks) Sean Tomes (Blaydon)
Key man Rory Duncan. Among the plethora of South African imports, the Eastern Province former
professional back row is expected to lend his experience to the cause
as he tries to progress his
own career.
Predictions HM Customs & Excise are thinking of introducing a Myreside branch as the imports flood in, but investment may well be
rewardedFIRST
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