Highland looking to cause Scottish Cup upset against top flight opposition
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Dave Carson insists the pressure is entirely on Highland Rugby Club’s Scottish Cup opponents Musselburgh tomorrow.
National One outfit Highland are due to travel to Premiership side Musselburgh with a place in the next round at stake.
With Highland still looking to break into the top four in the second tier, they are not many places below their opponents in the club pyramid, so Carson is hoping for a top performance to take advantage of the weight that could be on Musselburgh’s shoulders.
“I know they’re struggling a wee bit, but they’re still playing Premiership sides week in and week out,” Carson said.
“It will be a big challenge, and we’ll need 100 per cent concentration and to be accurate with everything we do to keep the ball and not give them an easy out.
“There’s no pressure on us, it will be on them being the Premiership side.
“It’s going to be tough, but it’s doable. There’s not much between the top of National One and the bottom of the Premiership, so we’ll find they’re a big, physical side for us to combat and see how the backs get on.”
Highland can take some confidence from knowing they got the better of their Premiership opponents a few years ago thanks to a late try from Rupeni Rokoduguni.
“We beat them up at Canal Park with a last minute try from Roko, so that was a good day when I think back on it,” he recalled.
“We had a big crowd and there was a good atmosphere. It was nip and tuck all the way through, so there is a bit of history there.
“They might be thinking about getting a bit of revenge on their own turf, so we’ll just have to be up for it and ready to take it to them. The lads have proved they can do it.
“It will give us a wee guide of where we sit in the structure at the moment if we can go down there and give a good account of ourselves. It will show that we’re not far away from getting there.”
