Dave Carson set to look to future as Highland's under-18s given chance to impress
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HIGHLAND will be forced to shuffle their pack tomorrow with a number of absentees for their game against Hillfoots.
Head coach Dave Carson has a good number of changes forced on his selection process with the long-term injured such as Ruaridh MacDonald, Paddy Bryden and Rory Cross joined by several other regulars.
The absentee list grows as others are unavailable due to work and holidays as no-one expected to be playing league fixtures in May.
It will be an ideal opportunity to give those on the bench and promising under-18s a chance to start against a side already relegated.
Former under-18 Alex Murray impressed on the wing in the Jack Henderson match and will make the squad, as could team-mate Charlie Wilson. Young prop Stuart Gillespie has been looked at for his senior debut, although his work commitments have prevented him from being assessed at training.
“It will be a bit of a step up but the under-18s have played competitive rugby in the President’s Conference this year, so it shouldn’t be too big a gap,” said Carson.
There is a possibility that Hillfoots might be granted a request to make the game a double-header, which would be a welcome relief for both clubs and a decision from the league committee is pending. With Highland already champions and Hillfoots down, nothing is riding on the next two games.
“I wish they’d just make a decision and draw a line under it, because it’s getting ridiculous,” added Carson. “If they cancel this weekend then we could end up playing on the 21st. I can’t see the committee agreeing to it being a double-header but we’ll find out in the next 48 hours.”
The big home game this Saturday is the last league fixture for the second XV as they take on Fraserburgh, knowing that a win will confirm them as BT Caledonia League Division Three North champions.
The strength of the squad will be maintained despite the large injury list and those former under-18s not making the first XV squad will likely be included in the second XV pool.
Coaches Alastair McKenzie and James Hay will be confident of the win against the bottom side, especially with a settled and confident squad.
It is hoped there will be a double presentation as the first XV will be presented with the Division One trophy and the Division Three North trophy will be on hand just in case.
“As much as we want to continue our unbeaten home record, this weekend is about the seconds,” said Carson. “The guys that have stepped up to the firsts this season have real quality and they’ve worked week in, week out for this. It’ll be great for them to step up another division.”
Before the matches there will be a special lunch for a team of cyclists leaving John O’Groats on May 6 and hoping to reach Paris in eight days. The team hope to raise £250,000 to fund research in to the development of treatments for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a fatal genetic condition for which there is no cure. The team is led by Ali Robertson, whose four-year-old son Felix was diagnosed with DMD in December 2014.
Covering on average 127 miles per day, the core team will be joined on various stages of the ride by stars of international rugby, including Rob Wainwright, Roger Baird, Iwan Tukalo, Will Carling, Peter Winterbottom, Roger Uttley, John Beattie and John Hall, as well as Olympic medallists Greg Searle and Alain Baxter. Those invited to the lunch will be asked to make a donation to the charity.
