Rugbyunionfocus: Highland captain’s rallying cry. Page 51

As titles to MacDonald-Butler

Highland captain Stuart MacDonaldButler insists the Greens will not give up the chase in National 1 – despite Biggar’s big lead .

The Inverness side sit third in the table, behind Heriot’s Blues and the runaway leaders. Biggar have won 15 of their 17 games.

MacDonald-Butler said: “Biggar have been very consistent all season, with real strength in depth. I don’t see them slipping up between now and the end of the season. There’s possibly a game or two that they might lose but they’re far enough ahead that they’ve got first place sewn up.

“But when we’re planning ahead at the start of the season, we don’t really have promotion as the ultimate goal.

“It’s to play a high standard of rugby. Our goal for the rest of the season is still to put out a quality 80-minute performance and play to a standard we can be proud of.

“We’re not going to take our foot off the gas now. If they do slip up, we will hopefully be in a good place to take advantage of that.”

Highland travel to struggling Boroughmuir today. The Edinburgh men are second-bottom with 18 points from 16 games.

MacDonald-Butler is among a group of Highland players who have been through the divisions – alongside Andrew Findlater, Callum Carson and Ruaridh MacDonald. The progress in the club’s youth system means the future should be bright at Canal Park.

The skipper added: “There’s a core of guys that have been through three or four promotions but we still have a young squad.

It’s great to have that talent coming through.

“It’s also encouraging that we’re not worried if the more senior players are looking to take a step back or move into coaching. It’s about helping make that transition, for the young talent coming through.”

Highland’s most recent outing was in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals on January 25 against Premiership leaders Marr, a game they lost 17-12. MacDonald-Butler believes it is a performance from which they can take encouragement.

He said: “It’s good to compare yourself against one of the best club teams in Scotland but what was encouraging is we were there or thereabouts.

“We pushed them all the way. It puts us in a good place knowing we can compete and there are teams that we would be able to beat in the Premiership.”