FIVE teams claimed maximum points on the opening day of the Premiership last weekend, and two of them meet this afternoon in what looks set to be the most keenly contested fixture on the week-two card.

Currie Chieftains have home advantage against Selkirk, but Mark Cairns, their head coach, expects his team will need a better all-round performance than they managed in week one if they are to get the better of the Borderers.

“After a really positive first half against GHA we were disappointed with our drop-off in the second half,” he said. “Hopefully the boys have learned a valuable lesson that anyone can beat anyone in this league if you are not on top of your game. We are in no doubt that an 80-minute performance is required this week if we are to get the win.”

Cairns’ dissatisfaction with his team’s 38-14 win at GHA is a sign of the high standards he hopes to set this season, and while a bit of rustiness may be inevitable at the start of the season, he is surely right to demand better today against a team that ran up half a century of points last week.

Selkirk’s line-up is the same as the one that began the 50-15 win over Glasgow Hawks, while for Currie Gregor Christie returns at scrum-half after recovering from injury.

Marr, who also topped the half-century in their win at Jed-Forest, welcome Musselburgh to Fullarton. Their coach, Craig Redpath, was also less than completely content with their showing last week, although unlike Cairns’ verdict, it was his team’s start that displeased him.

“We will have to make sure we start much better than last week against Jed-Forest, tighten up and reduce our error count and convert pressure into points,” he said. “In the past we’ve had some interesting tussles with Musselburgh and I expect nothing different on Saturday.”

Both teams were promoted as part of the league reorganisation to deal with Super 6, but Marr have recent experience of life in the top flight, and that factor could tell against Musselburgh, who played well in patches against Hawick last week but still conceded 50 points.

That result on the road was an indication of how well Hawick have prepared for this campaign, and they will be firm favourites to make it two wins from two when they welcome GHA to Mansfield Park.

Teenager Mully Bannerman comes in at centre for the injured Gary Johnstone in the home team’s back line, but the pack is unchanged and could make it a long and exhausting afternoon for the Glasgow side, whose coach, Trevor Carmichael, knows it could take a while for his squad to settle down at this level.

“We don’t underestimate the challenge that will be awaiting us at Mansfield Park and know exactly what Hawick will bring to the table,” he said.

“We will be looking to build on our second-half performance against Currie and make things difficult for Hawick in the way we want to play rugby. This is just another step in our Premiership journey where we are still finding our feet at the moment.”

Glasgow Hawks, bottom of the table on points differential, are at home to Aberdeen Grammar, the fifth team who recorded a bonus-point win last week.

“Obviously it was a disappointing loss versus Selkirk and the score wasn’t a true reflection of the competitiveness of the game,” Hawks coach Andy Hill said. “They were just far more clinical at converting their opportunities than we were.”

Jed-Forest picked up a try bonus in losing to Marr, and their coach, Gavin Kerr, is another to demand a better all-round display today when Edinburgh Accies are the visitors.

“Last week in the first half we did everything we’d worked on and we looked pretty good,” he said. “In the second half we didn’t front up in the set-piece. Now it is about finding an 80-minute performance.”