Last week’s 45-19 win in front of a crowd of more than 400 was the South of Scotland reserves’ first since their revival, after over 20 years out of action, for a one-off defeat by 33-29 by Kielder’s Border Park at Jedburgh’s Riverside Park last April. They’re due to play the Northumbrians again this Friday at Melrose’s Greenyards, with kick-off at 7.30pm, and they’ll be hoping not only to make amends for last spring’s loss but also to rack up two wins out of two this time round. Head coach Callum Anderson’s hopes of pulling that off will be boosted by being able to call on players from the region’s representatives in the three Arnold Clark East Region League divisions as well as the six Border junior league clubs – Hawick Force, Kelso Sharks, Peebles Reds, Melrose Storm and Selkirk A and Gala Reivers. Melrose tighthead prop Robbie Robinson scored two tries for the union against their visitors – recruited from Penicuik, Dalkeith, Lasswade and Boroughmuir – with his teammates Jack Wilks at No 8 and Evan Davies, a replacement, also touching down, along with Sharks lock Andrew Sweenie, Duns’ Liam Logie, another substitute, and Langholm’s Ben Jardine at outside-centre, plus Langholm’s Bailey Donaldson, playing at inside-centre and skippering too, kicking five conversions. Midlothian’s tries, two of them converted by Alan Haynes, were scored by Roni Vatuloka, Aiden Walker and Ryan Reid. Making up the rest of red-and-white-hooped regional side’s starting line-up were Peebles loosehead prop John Napier and his right-winger team-mate Rio Bhatia, Hawick Harlequins hooker Fergus Bell, Gala scrum-half Eddie Eyre, Selkirk fly-half Ethan Wilson, Melrose full-back Matthew Bertram, Hawick Linden blindside flanker Tom Huggan and Langholm’s Josh Duffy, Calum Henderson and Lewis Miller at lock, openside flanker and left-winger respectively. Backing them up from the bench, alongside Davies and Logie, were Melrose’s Andrew Ceballos, Gala’s Rory Litster, Kelso’s Arran Jackson, Peebles’ Max Maciver, and Langholm’s Steven Nicol and Tom Hope. “All in all it was a very worthwhile exercise and one that both camps felt should be repeated, and if more interest can be generated from other areas, then possibly there’ll be more fixtures in future seasons,” union steering committee chairman Iain Heard told the Offside Line rugby news website afterwards. Friday’s squad to play Border Park is expected to be named this Thursday. Admission is by donation, as at Kelso last week.