Opportunity at Highland for prop to step up and be counted at Kelso
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Highland head coach Dave Carson has a decision to make over his starting 15 to face Kelso after picking up an injury and a suspension last time out.
Scrum half Hugo Crush sustained ligament damage in his ankle against Ayr, and while Stuart Watson’s red card proved costly during the match, it also means that he will be suspended.
The latter in particular is a blow because it means Highland will be missing three props against Kelso, with Stephen Murray and Lewis Sinclair both injured.
What that does, though, is create an opportunity for someone from the second team to step up and stake their claim for a starting spot in National One.
“Jonny Milton will come back in, he was at a wedding last weekend but he’s available, so he will certainly come back into the mix,” Carson said.
“I’ll get the report from the second team and see who’s performing well.
“There are three or four good props down with them, so we will see who can make the step up to the first team.
“Someone will get a chance to put their hand up and take their opportunity. They will get the jersey, and then it’s up to them to stay in the team.”
It was undoubtedly a blow for Highland to lose their first game of the season at home last weekend considering how strong they have been at Canal Park in recent years.
However, Carson does not anticipate much work needing to be done on morale ahead of the trip to Kelso.
“It’s not season-defining whatsoever,” he said.
“Things that we normally do well, we didn’t do quite so well, but it’s only one game, the first game of the season, so there is a lot of rugby to play between now and the end of the season in April.
“They’re all determined to work really hard in training this week to correct the things we didn’t do quite right and take that down to Kelso on Saturday.”
