While there was a sense of the inevitable in the Scottish Hydro Electric Premiership’s opening weekend as Boroughmuir continued the winning run that took them to the title last season, there were plenty of shocks round the rest of the country.

Both sides promoted from Division Two won their opening games, while Melrose, a side tipped as championship challengers, failed to score a point in crashing at Ayr.

Both Selkirk and West of Scotland, former giants in the Scottish game who have been out of the top rank all this decade, each collected a try bonus point as the Borders club came from 21-8 behind to defeat Currie 28-24, while the West beat Glasgow Hawks, their city rivals, 29-13 with a stylish performance. It was the first time that West have beaten Hawks, and they could thank the experience of their senior players and their fast start. The 19-point lead they took early in the second half was enough to survive the Hawks fightback, with Peter Horne, Alex Fisken, Jamie Hunter and Roddy Grant collecting the tries.

At Selkirk, it was the other way round, with Kevin Barrie, the home coach, reckoning superior fitness from competing on the sevens circuit paid dividends as Lee Jones scored early and then Ryan Crockatt, Fraser Harkness and Michael McVie finished the fightback to overhaul Currie.

Boroughmuir needed all their experience to keep their noses in front of a youthful Edinburgh Academicals side. The match turned on a controversial penalty when Accies were trailing by only three points and appeared poised to score after a superb break from Alex Blair, youngest brother of Mike, the Scotland captain. Ian Barnes, the Accies coach, was convinced that if they had scored they would have won but as it was Boroughmuir rode their luck and three late tries gave the 34-14 scoreline an unfair gloss.

Stirling County already look relegation contenders after being thrashed by Watsonians, Heriot’s raced in front against Hawick and held on for a 22-18 win, and Ayr had Frazier Climo, their Kiwi fly half, to thank for master-minding a 23-0 trouncing of Melrose.