Hawick v Dundee HSFP (3pm)
Dundee beat Hawick 18-11 at Mayfield in last season's BT Cup semi-final and that sort of thing rankles with Borderers for centuries, never mind 12 months, so there is a definite edge to the meeting of the sides at Mansfield Park.
"We certainly ambushed them last year and they will remember that only too well, " agreed Ian Rankin, the Dundee coach. "Like ourselves, Hawick have got better as the season has gone on but the cup is exciting for Dundee, particularly since the club have been to finals day two seasons in a row."
"We are putting out our strongest side and it is a big boost to have Alan Brown returning to the back row. He scored the winning try against Hawick last season. We won't be in awe of Hawick but we have to show that we can win in the Borders when it matters.
"We have had poor results there in the past and last season you could argue that it cost us promotion. This is unlike the league, though, because it is a one-off. We have no form to go on apart from last season's game and we simply have to be up for it."
Although Hawick are seventh in the BT Premiership 1 table, they can still be caught in the relegation scramble but that will be far from their minds.
"What will be in the back of our minds is what happened at Mayfield last season, " said Jock Rae, their team manager. "We will be concentrating on this one and looking after the league later."
The return of Matt Landels to the hooking berth means that Hawick are at full strength and Rae acknowledges that they will have to get the better of Dundee up front if they are to go into the semi-finals.
"We know how good they can be but we have had a good run of wins and the team are quietly confident, " he said. "Dundee will have to be very good to get past us, but we have to stay focused or our season could finish with this game."
Prediction Hawick to progress, just
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