Published: Wednesday, 15th October, 2008 09:00
'Same again' for battered and bruised Gala
By Atholl Innes
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GALA coach Richie Gray has called for his players to play with the same desperation, determination and guts that they showed against Peebles in last Saturday's over Peebles.
Netherdale resembled a war zone as players received attention to injuries - some inflicted by colliding with each other.
And it will be later in the week before the Gala selectors can even think of naming a side to play GHA this weekend in Glasgow.
Malcolm Horsburgh suffered a broken nose, Michael Howes had 14 stitches inserted into a wound near an eye while David Marshall had eight stitches put in a head wound.
Gala also face the loss of Martin Christie, who is heading off to Australia for a year.
"We have been very lucky this season with injuries, but we cannot afford to lose players," said coach Richie Gray.
But as the team prepares to set out for Glasgow, Gray told them: "We want you to aspire to the desperation (to get a result) you showed on Saturday."
There is no let-up in league rugby for Borders clubs on Saturday with Hawick facing the biggest fear of all, a drop into Premiership 2.
Of course, there is a long way to go, but coach Jim Hay will be eyeing up the Premiership 1 table not from a position of strength.
And a win against fellow-strugglers is a must.
Ironically, Hawick's only win has been against Selkirk, who have surprised all the pundits and sit fifth in the table - and only on points difference.
This weekend, Selkirk head to Burnbrae to face West of Scotland, under John Beattie, who set out a marker with a 50 plus points win at Stirling.
Selkirk have won only once on the road - at Hawks - and coach Kevin Barrie believes that two games away from home on the trot - they are next at Stirling County - will seet their own marker.
After the win over leader Ayr, he said: "We cut out the mistakes we made against Heriot's and that made the difference. We had to perform and we did as Ayr are a big physical team and we just tried to play our game and put the ball through our hands.
"Ayr are top of the league and deserve to be there, but it was a big scalp for us." But he warned: "We need to keep winning our home games and need to win on the road."
Melrose, boosted by a win at Hawks, face Stirling at The Greenyards.
'We need to build on that," said forwards coach John Dalziel.
Elsewhere in Premiership 2, Kelso host Biggar at Poynder Park while Peebles play host to Jed-Forest.
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Hawick coach gets the boot