'It would mean everything' - Hawick head coach Matty Douglas on thought of winning Tennent's Premiership

Hawick – top by four points after winning 12 and drawing one of their opening 13 league games this season – haven’t won the top flight since way back in the 2001-2002 season so it would be a memorable triumph for Douglas and his troops.

"Winning the league after over 20 years would obviously mean everything,” Douglas told The Southern Reporter. "I’ve played for Hawick and brought up with Hawick and the club is due a bit of success.

"So personally it would be great. It’s kind of what you strive for as a coach, especially at that level, is to win.

"This year we have depth that we didn’t have last year. A lot of credit to the boys last year but we’ve been able to add a few players in.

"It will be tough because the play-offs (for the teams which finish in the top four positions) are knock-out rugby.

"We’ve given ourselves a good chance but it’s just if we’re good enough.”

After an idle weekend due to the freezing weather, Hawick are due to return to league action at home to GHA this Saturday.

"The weather is not looking the best so we’ll just have to wait and see if it clears,” Douglas said.

"We’ve got the 4G booked if the pitches are unplayable but even that will probably be unplayable to be fair.

"It’s to get a wee bit warmer by the end of the week but not by much – maybe two or three degrees – so I can’t see the game being on. But you still have to prep just in case."

Other fixtures this Saturday are: Premiership – Jed-Forest v Edinburgh Accies, Selkirk v Heriot’s Blues; National 1 – Aberdeen Grammar v Gala, GHK v Kelso, Watsonian’s v Melrose; National 2 – Glasgow Accies v Berwick, Peebles v Kirkcaldy.