Only one game featuring a Highland XV
This week sees a sparse fixture list for the club, with only the 1st XV taking the field in a National League Division 1 fixture away at Watsonian FC.
The coaching team will be looking to do something about Highland’s away form, with a solitary away win under our belts. That was a narrow 3 point victory over the current basement side Stewarts Melville.
A quick glance at the league table might make you think that form should dictate that Highland might edge this weekends fixture, Highland lie in 5th position, and Watsonians are in the 10th slot. However Watsonian’s league position belies how hard they work for results at home.
Highland have definitely held the edge over Watsonians at Canal Park over the last couple of years, however, we’ve not done so well in the away fixtures. History shows that the table showed similar form and standings at the time of the away fixtures in both of the last two seasons.
Yet Highland have lost our last two visits to Myreside. Watsonians won at home by a point in season 20/21, and by 32-25 in the 21/22 fixture back in January this year. Both were games Highland feel they could have won – but didn’t.
All of which just bears out Davie Carson’s assessment that everyone in this league is tough at home, and it will be away form that will ultimately determine the league title.
All this is in the past, off course, and matters not a jot to how things may go on Saturday.
A game of rugby is only won on the day through hard work and application both in defence and attack. We know the guys have it in them to get a result away from home.
There are no injury concerns this week, but we are still awaiting the return of our Fijian contingent from their current tour of duty in Europe.
Look out for the team announcement on social media later this week.