Highland ready to start new season
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The mini-micro section primary age groups have already got underway with sessions taking place every Sunday at Canal Park, starting at 11am.
The junior season also begins this weekend with the under-18s travelling to Ross Sutherland tomorrow, while on Sunday the under-16s and under-15s entertain Orkney and Lochaber respectively.
This means little to play for by the bigger clubs and only the effort to escape relegation by the smaller sides, so a run in the Shield would be a welcome one for the Greens this season.
With the Scottish Rugby Union having embarked upon a reorganisation of the club leagues, it will mean that there will be no promotion from the new Caledonia Regional League Division One, only relegation.
There is some good news, however, with the back division having a good pool of players to select from. With Dave Titteringham, Andy Hill and Tam Magowan joining an already talented line-up, the backs will hopefully give Highland a badly needed edge out wide.
The front five combination is crucial to Highland’s game as the eight that finally takes to the field tomorrow will be up against a very strong Gordonians pack, which has been stiffened by new arrivals. At least they will have a very capable and in-form Andrew Findlater to lead from the back row, but he too is likely to leave the club soon to play in Edinburgh.
The main headache for Mackintosh will be in the front row where he will have to wait to see if hooker Kevin Brown recovers from his injury to join prop Jamie Strachan. Stephen Murray has left to play with Cartha Queens Park and potential replacement Ryan MacLaughlan is struggling with injury.
The second row will be missing Chris Aldam, who is still recovering from a broken leg, and Simon Stephen, who is unlikely to be fit in time.
From last season and having the equivalent of two complete packs to select from, director of rugby Hugh Mackintosh has only enough to pick a back row.
The Greens would have been viewed as favourites for this tie, but fortune has not been kind to them with injuries and departures depleting the squad.
THE new season starts for Highland tomorrow with a trip to old adversaries Gordonians in the new Regional Shield competition.
