| The two changes, both in the pack, see captain Paul Thomson return to the starting line-up in place of Tom McGee and back-row Semo Sititi come in for John Dalziel, moving Kelly Brown to flanker.
Bates said: “We are going over there with the best team available to us and the boys are keen to do well. Right across the board we have performed better away from home than last season.”
In addition to the team to play Ulster in the Celtic League at Ravenhill tomorrow (Friday 12 May, kick-off 7:30pm), the Border Reivers are pleased to confirm today that former Newcastle Falcons Academy prop Ed Kalman has signed a one-year-deal with the club.
Having joined Whitecraigs RFC when he was eight years old, Ed played for the club for about ten years. He then went on to represent Glasgow Schools and played for Cambridge University in this years’ varsity match.
He also represented Durham University whilst studying towards a degree in physics.
Having taken a year out from rugby to complete a postgraduate certificate in technology policy at Cambridge, Kalman said: “It is going to be a positive shift in my life going into full-time professional rugby with the Borders. I am very fortunate to have taken some time out to get an education which I can fall back on.”
Bates added: “Ed is another exciting young Scottish talent. We have signed some great young Scottish prospects in our back division and we are looking to make similar moves in our pack.”
Border Reivers team: 15 Stuart Moffat; 14 Simon Danielli, 13 Ben MacDougall, 12 Calum MacRae, 11 Nikki Walker; 10 Gregor Townsend, 9 Brendan McKerchar; 1 Paul Thomson (CAPTAIN), 2 Steve Scott, 3 Bruce Douglas; 4 Scott MacLeod, 5 Opeta Palepoi; 6 Kelly Brown, 7 Andy Miller, 8 Semo Sititi
Substitutes: 16 Sean Crombie, 17 Tom McGee, 18 Colin Stewart, 19 John Dalziel, 20 Johnny Weston, 21 Charlie Hore, 22 Garry Law
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