PLAY-OFFS.

You can argue it both ways: an unfair way to decide the champions since the team that has run away with he league has no guarantee they will finish on top; or the 21st century way of making sure the season stays live to the final whistle of the final game in the campaign.

Looking at this afternoon's BT Premiership final, it is easy to sympathise with both points of view. Yes, Heriot's deserve something for finishing 10 points clear of the rest, scoring 99 points more than their nearest rivals, picking up 11 scoring bonuses in 18 games. In their 125th anniversary season they were the class act that everybody else had to chase.

Yet, just look at today's occasion when they play Melrose in front of a bumper crowd at Goldenacre, neatly topping and tailing a season that started with the same teams meeting in the Charity Shield. It promises to be a humdinger of a game, with Melrose one of the few teams to have won at the Heriot's home ground earlier this season when a late drop goal secured their 14-12 win.

"It's a cup final so we know that absolutely anything could happen on the day. The whole club has bought into it. We're buzzing for a big day at Goldenacre," was the verdict from Jack Turley, the club captain. "It is what it is. They changed the way the league is run and we're on board with that. There's no point moping around saying that we should already have the trophy. The cream always finds a way of rising to the top so we're confident. This is the way we always run our leagues back in New Zealand so it is nothing new to me.

"It's good because it keeps the league open for the whole season. Without it you run the danger of being stuck in the middle of the table with a number of games to play that don't really matter. I'd like to see us ride it out for a few years to really see of this format works - there's no point chopping and changing. Personally, I'm all for it. It's what I am used to and I think it's good for everyone to have these knock-out games at the end of the season."

It's been a busy week for the Heriot's club, who hosted the Barbarians in a joint 125th anniversary celebration match on Tuesday, and they are hoping the lure of the title, the community work they have been doing and the excitement of the big occasion will bring another bumper crowd.

"It is a celebration of the whole Heriot's community," said Phil Smith the coach. "I will enjoy it. I did not enjoy the lead up to the semi final, I did not enjoy the match but now I feel the pressure is off. We are in the final, which is where I think we should have been, and hopefully we can just get on with it."

Heriot's: G Bryce; C Simpson, L Steele, K Buchan, C Goudie; G McNeish, G Wilson; N Borel, G Turner, S Cessford, R Nimmo, J Turley (C), J Ritchie, J Mclean, J Hill. Replacements: S Mustard, J Ward, J Syme, D Levison, C Mulligan, S Edwards, M Learmonth.

Melrose: F Thomson (C); T Mua, T Galbraith, A Nagel, J Helps; A Lockington, B Colvine; N Beavon, T Pearce, E McQuillan, J Head , L Carmichael, N Irvine Hess, G Runciman, G Dodds. Replacements: R Ferguson, N Little, P Eccles, H Blake, R Knott, M McAndrew, R Mill.