The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Big win puts Kirkcaldy in good spirits for north trip
Great victory over Kelso was sign of adapting to National League One
With the vast turnover of bodies in each close season in Scottish club rugby, learning on the hoof and adapting in the early weeks of the season is a big part of the battle in establishing a club in its division.
Especially if they are new to that level, like Kirkcaldy are in Tennent’s National League One.
After a sobering experience at Selkirk in their opening game, the Blues’ coaching team quickly identified where they had come up short and made the necessary adjustments.
The result was a handsome victory over Kelso and a settling foundation of five points to go into tomorrow’s visit to Rubislaw to take on Aberdeen.
The Blues’ coaching team know they have the pack to be competitive in National One but it was the speed of game that caught them out at Philiphaugh.
Playing at the higher tempo and dictating the play against their Border visitors meant they could ride a couple of yellow cards quite comfortably either side of half-time.
The return of Conar Littlejohn in the centre added to the options in the backs and there was another impressive performance from lock Connor Wood.
Dundee High have to find their feet quickly but with such a number of key losses in the summer it’s a work in progress.
Alan Brown’s retirement was perhaps inevitable, but the losses of Murphy Walker and Angus Fraser, required to play Premiership rugby to maintain their Scotland U20 and pro club ambitions, means a seriously useful front row is no longer available to the Mayfield men.
Yet High did have the push on GHA last week in the set-piece and it is something to build on.
Teenager Angus Campbell, a livewire and pacy hooker in the High tradition of recent years, looked like a more than decent replacement for Fraser.
Certainly it does not get any easier for the team, with a visit to Netherdale to take on Gala this week, the Maroons having opened up impressively with bonus point wins over Hamilton and Cartha.
In National two, Howe are having to find their feet after summer losses – including their experienced half-backs to Dundee – but they stuck in to get two bonuses from a rip-roaring affair in Newton Mearns against Whitecraigs last week, 98 points scored in all and Howe eventually only six points short.
Howe are up on Hartreemill to take on Biggar, who have opened the season impressively with just one try and one penalty conceded in the first two games.
Perthshire have not had a great many bonus point victories of late but the win over Orkney last week signals a revival in National League Three. They travel to Murrayfield Wanderers’ new home at Roseburn Park this week hoping to keep the momentum going.
Strathmore set a marker for this season last week by going to Hillfoots and winning with a bonus, leaving them even at this early stage the only team with two wins from two in Caledonia Division One.
Aberdeen Wanderers, who had a heavy win over Harris last week to get off the mark, are the visitors to Inchmacoble this week.
Dunfermline’s win over Glenrothes in a game where the scoreboard fluctuated constantly means they are the only other unbeaten side in the division and they are at Elliott Road. The first of the Clackmannanshire derbies is at Earlsfield where Alloa host Hillfoots.
Blairgowrie, Panmure and Carnoustie HSFP all have maximum 10 points from the first fortnight in Caledonia Two Midlands, but although Blair are idle this weekend, Panmure head to Carnoustie.
The newly-styled Dundee Morgan and Rosyth Sharks are on maximum 10s in Caley Three Midlands and should be still there after this week’s fixtures.