It was a case of boys against men, quite literally, at Mayfield as Watsonians hammered Dundee HSFP 32-5 on Saturday.
The home side had seven players under the age of 20 in their starting line-up, while Watsonians had former British Lion and multiple Scotland international Simon Taylor.
Playing in the second row, Taylor strolled through the match, always gravitating to the ball until he got himself yellow carded with five minutes left.
Watsonians were not all Taylor, though they have an exciting set of backs, a scrummage that had High in trouble and a well-drilled pack.
Home coach Colin Robertson rued the fast start his team gifted their visitors, two careless dropped balls directly leading to eight points in the first 10 minutes.
“We really didn’t start well and were chasing the game from then on,” he said. “We did have plenty pressure and I thought we’d held them pretty well with that wind against us, but we just couldn’t get enough ball in the second half.”
Robertson identified the key of the match coming when High had a 5m attacking lineout after those two early scores.
Instead of striking back however, they conspired to lose the ball on their own throw, then gift a lineout near half-way and failed to react as Watsonians took a quick throw and sliced through a disorganised defence for their second try.
From looking like they might score at one end, less than 60 seconds later they were gathering under their own posts to contemplate the conversion.
Even when they had the wind at their backs in the second half, Watsonians stuck to their drills and held on to the ball.
A try for the visitors immediately after the break confirmed there would be no comeback.
Watsonians look like the only side capable of threatening Selkirk in BT National League One, and must be favourites for a promotion slot having missed by a single point last season.
Dundee were fourth last year and they’ll do well to match that this year.
The league is taking shape with five clubs detaching themselves at the top, and after this second defeat in succession High are not among them.
There is plenty of promise Andy Stubbs’ late try showing what they can do when they put a move together and there is pace outside, with Ronan Joy looking like a lively addition, while Donald Sangster again caught the eye as a combative number eight.
However, High are a team in transition, and it’s going to take time to get to where they want to be.