Borders Preview

Under now departed kiwi coach Tony Gilbert, there only league wins came during either the six nations or World cup, a factor that is fairly vindictive of their short comings.

Play maker Gregor Townsend jumped ship at Christmas to play Super 12 rugby with The Sharks in South Africa, leaving a gaping void in the Borders backline which they failed to fill.

Like the other Scottish super districts Borders struggled to attract sufficient crowds, with average gates of around 2,000 in the supposed heartland of Scottish rugby, where the fifteen man game is more popular than football.

As financial gloom and doom hits the SRU, Borders have bared the brunt of major cost cuts hitting the game, with a significantly reduced squad, shrewn of high profile and key players

Ins and Outs
Out go the high profile Pacific Islanders Semo Sittiti and Tanner Villi, to Newcastle and France respectively. The veteran pairing of Doddie Weir and Gary Armstrong have finally decided to call it a day, as several full time players have been relegated to the ranks of being back up players, plying their trade at club level instead, as the Borders look to keep costs down to minimum.

As far as replacements go, back rower Scott Grey a former Brisbane Bronco capped by Scotland on their tour to Australia, who spent last season with Bath is brought in, along with winger Jon Steel from Glasgow, Gala open side flanker Andy Miller returns from a brief spell with South Sydney.

Flanker Wayne McEntee (Waikato), hooker William Key (Newcastle Falcons), back-five forward Mark Blair (Narbonne), an Ireland A international who also played for Ulster, and stand-off Charlie Hore from Otago, Ally Warnock and Ali Dickson both released by Edinburgh join also.

Coaches
Having appeared in countless documentaries on how he discovered Jonny Wilkinson, Steve Bates has been handed a return to top level coaching following his axing by Newcastle two seasons ago.

Bates is certainly a low key appointment, with an emphasis on developing younger players in mind.

Prospects
On paper Borders are easily the weakest side in the league, financial restrictions have virtually stamped out any chance of them attracting the sufficient quality of player they need to move away from the leagues basement. Losing Semo Sititi in particular could prove costly, with the Samoans work rate and impact being the main reason why they managed to avoid hammering in every game they played.

With a new coach and a vastly changed squad it will also take them a fair while to gel, another factor that in the short term counts very much against them.

They look more and more like Scotland's version of Connacht, but a very poor mans one.

A season of development is very much on the cards.

Two To Watch
Chris Cussiter - was one of few Scot's to come out of the six nations with credit, the 22 year old scrum half is not afraid to get stuck in, a vital asset behind a pack usually on the ropes.

Nikki Walker - Hawick product Walker has long been seen as the player to transform Scotlands' oh-so conservative backline, with pace to burn.

Welsh regional dates
Scarlets at Netherdale - 03/09/04
Ospreys at Netherdale - 08/10/04
Dragons at Netherdale - 15/10/04
Blues at Netherdale -26/11/04
Scarlets at Wrexham - 17/12/04
Ospreys away - 18/02/05
Dragons at Rodney Parade - 04/03/05
Blues at Arms Park - 15/04/05

Verdict

They look more and more like Scotland's version of Connacht, albeit a very poor mans one at that.

A season of development and struggle is very much on the cards.

Prediction - 11th