It takes time to develop the home-grown ethos Dundee HSFP are trying to promote, but this weekend could go a long way to seeing a young team grow up quickly.
High travel to Jed-Forest to meet a big Border club that slipped down the leagues but which is now making its way back up. Only Gala in recent times have made that journey down and back to the very top.
Jed want to do the same, and their successful Championship promotion campaign last year now sees them one step away from the Premiership, and leading National One by virtue of last week’s win at Hughenden against Hillhead Jordanhill.
High have plenty of experience and are well able to cope with the difficulties of playing in the Borders, club skipper Alan Brown having won at all the major venues.
But with eight of last week’s victorious team in the home opener against Marr being in the 18-20 age group, there’s a good portion of the squad for whom this is new.
High have been drawn in the schedule to meet the two promoted clubs, but there’s evidence Jed will be a more competitive outfit than Marr, who were defeated with a bonus point at Mayfield last week.
The club hope to be bolstered in the coming weeks by more experience in the shape of Andy Stubbs and Dan Levison, but coach Colin Robertson is comfortable with the move towards youth, and feels there is sufficient strength in depth in the overall squad which was borne out by the second XV Titans crushing Howe of Fife in a rearranged friendly last week
Howe’s IIs have been strong in recent seasons, winning a place in the Caley Division Two Midlands for this season, so it was quite a marker set down by the players seeking to force their way into the High first XV.
The realignment of what were the geographical Championship divisions into meritocratic National Leagues One and Two were certain to make for better contests, and so it proved at Duffus Park last week.
Howe’s defeat at Jed in the first game of last season was eventually the result that cost them promotion, and although they had to dig deep they avoided a similar opening loss from a Hamilton side that pushed them as close as any visitors in recent seasons.
Howe got across the line with their customary bonus, but they know this season’s going to demand consistently high performance, starting with this week’s trip to Aberdeenshire.
Kirkcaldy won’t mind a that they rode their luck in the first game of the season against Aberdeenshire, a conversion of a try four minutes from time hitting the post and preserving their 28-27 victory.
Building on the decent performance in defeat in the Cup to Dundee, the Blues’ young team have a tough trip to Greenock Wanderers.
In the new National Three, both Perthshire and Dunfermline found adjustment from regional rugby difficult with losses, but both are back on home ground this week seeking to kick-start their campaigns.
Perthshire face RHC, who crushed Hawick YM on the opening weekend, while Dunfie welcome Preston Lodge to McKane Park after discovering that West of Scotland are probably favourites for promotion from the division last week at Burnbrae.
Morgan’s crushing of Ellon at Alloway Place was the perfect start to the league season for them, but it’s followed with the long trek to Orkney, who also went past the 50 point mark in their opening game and were clear pre-season favourites for the title.
Other notable results from week one saw Glenrothes gain revenge for their SRU Bowl loss in Cumbernauld last year by beating Highland, and Strathmore defeating Hillfoots.
Glens will be aware they can put a decent marker down for the whole season in the first three week, with Ellon tomorrow followed by the visit of the Orcadians to Carleton Park.
Harris were edged into third in last year’s Caley Two, but have big hopes of going up this year, starting with a handsome win at Kinross and hosting Stirling University this week at Elliot Road.