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Welcome 2010, welcome snow, frost and rock hard pitches.
At the time of writing, it will be nothing short of miraculous if any rugby (or any other sport requiring a pitch not resembling a slab of concrete) will be played next Saturday-where's your global warming when you want it?
If that is the case then it would mean the postponement of Ayr's Scottish Hydro Premier 1 fixture against Dundee HSFP at Millbrae, a revenge clash against the only side to have put one over on the Scottish champions this season.
However that game heralds a month which will prove crucial for the Millbrae men, not so much for their home fixtures, against Dundee and Stewarts Melville on January 23rd but the two games on the road.
January 16th sees Ayr travel to the Greenyards to face a Melrose side currently in third spot who slipped in their challenge for the title when they drew with Selkirk at home in the only Premier 1 match played the week before Christmas. They will -possibly- have a couple of Border League matches under their belt by the time Ayr arrive, assuming that a thaw has not appeared this week and their foray to Burnbrae on Saturday is postponed but whatever the situation, Craig Chalmers will have his side primed to avenge they thumping they took at Millbrae earlier in the season.
The former Scotland No10, who recently sneakily slagged off your correspondent in an e-mail he didn't realise would land on my computer-time to get to grips with modern technology Chick - is still confident that his side will be there for the final run in and there is no doubt hat they will be formidable opposition as will the side Ayr face a fortnight after the Greenyards clash. Selkirk may not be the surprise package they were last season when they were in the title race for a long spell but at Philiphaugh they will pose all sorts of problems and that draw against Melrose in December shows that they are getting back to the sort of form which made them hard to beat last season. In fact Ayr came a cropper against them at Philiphaugh, going down 16-15 so although the Souters were hammered at Millbrae a couple of months ago, there will be a serious ambush laid for Ayr's visit.
Into February, Stonyhill is the destination for Kenny Murray's squad for the first round of the Scottish Hydro Premier Cup against Musselburgh, hopefully a winning warm up for the third round of the British and Irish Cup against Birminhgham and Solihull Bees at Millbrae on February 13th. The Midlands side have lost both of their opening matches in the competition, affording Ayr the chance to follow up their memorable win over Rotherham Titans and make it two wins from three starts in the competition.
The following week West pitch up at Millbrae and if relegation is still a threat, then John Beattie will have his men fired up for this one then Ayr see out the month with game four in the British and Irish Cup when Pontypridd are the visitors with the pool stage of the tournament coming to a close the following week at Cardiff who currently head the group. This match is scheduled for March 6th, the date when the domestic fixture list has Ayr travelling to Malleny Park to face Currie so after the Cardiff match there is going to be some drastic re-scheduling.
Ayr already have to find dates for the postponed matches against Heriots and Hawks at Goldenacre and Old Anniesland, if the Dundee games is postponed that is another one to find a date for then would come what could be a title decider against Currie who, having played one game more, top the Premier 1 table from Ayr in second spot. There will still be cup fixtures to fulfil as well so at this rate we could still be playing very significant rugby in May.
Welcome summer rugby!
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