Only a point separates Dundee High Rugby and Kelso in BT National Division 1 so their meeting at Poynder Park, even this early in the season, is a significant one.
Kelso have won two from three as have Dundee and they lead Colin Robertson’s team by dint of a bonus point but they have won two on the trot while Dundee have to bounce back from their defeat on Saturday at Mayfield against league leaders Selkirk.
Dundee coach Colin Robertson had mixed feelings about facing the third border club in three weeks.
“We beat Jed at Riverside but last Saturday Selkirk were the better side and we couldn’t seem to get it together. We are really looking for consistency in our performance and this week we have No8 Donald Sangster back from injury but 18 year old Duncan Leese, who has been shaping up really well, is still out and we are still missing three or four players. However, it was a very close match at Kelso last season so we hope that we will be coming back with the points
In BT National 2 Howe of Fife are already opening a gap at the top, two points clear after only three matches and on maximum points. After a narrow opening day win at Hamilton, they have racked up forty three then one hundred and eight points in successive weeks against Aberdeenshire then Greenock Wanderers. ‘Not too shabby’ was Howe coach Gary Horne’s assessment of his side’s performance in scoring over a century last Saturday but it is likely to be a lot tougher this week when they travel to take on Whitecraigs. The West Lodge outfit are third in the table and although they lost their opener to Falkirk, they have garnered three bonus points and come off a win at Kirkcaldy last week so the freescoring Duffus Park men might find it just a bit more difficult to amass anything close to what last week resembled a cricket score.
Kirkcaldy slipped to sixth spot in the table after losing for the first time in three league outings in that clash with Whitecraigs last week but they are likely to make the most of a trip to Nielson Park to take on bottom of the table Haddington who are winless while shipping one hundred and sixty points in three games.
After a promising start which saw them lose by only one point at Beveridge Park in the opening league match, Aberdeenshire have been unable to build on that and go in against fifth placed Musselburgh still looking for their first win. ‘Burough are fifth in the table and on eleven points, coming off a bonus point win over Ardrossan and will not want to slip out of the pack chasing Howe so ‘Shire will have to make the most of home advantage to get their season off the ground.
A win last week against Dalziel was Perthshire’s first success of the season and pulled them up to seventh in BT National 3 but they host an East Kilbride side this week who are in the mix at the top having only lost one from three against league leaders Dumfries while a Dunfermline side, still looking for their first win as they prop up the league, have to take on third in the table RHC at McKane Park and it would be a surprise if the pulled off win number one this weekend.