Highland coach hoping team take their A-game south to leapfrog Gala

Highland head coach Davie Carson says a big performance will be required in order to leapfrog Gala in National 1 this weekend.

The Inverness outfit make the trip to the Borders, to face their fourth-placed opponents who are just a point ahead of them.

Although Highland triumphed 14-10 when the sides met at Canal Park earlier in the campaign, Carson expects a stiffer challenge this time around.

Carson said: “It’s one of our targets to finish as high up as we can.

“Gala are the next on the radar, just being a point ahead of us. There is not much between the two sides, when you look at results.

“Both have won nine games and lost six. After their mid-season dip they have come back in a good vein of form. They beat Kelso and they beat Melrose at Christmas.

“It’s going to be a big game for both sides and one we are looking forward to. We know how tough it’s going to be.

“Going down to the Borders is never easy. We beat them by four points at home, but it’s going to be a lot harder down there without a doubt.”

Highland were last in action a fortnight ago, when they were defeated 40-21 by Premiership side Musselburgh in the Scottish Cup.

Carson, who welcomes back experienced campaigners Seumas Ross, Gordon Gregor and Sean Blair, feels that the match was a learning curve ahead of the return to league action.

Carson added: “The cup game was something different for us with a very inexperienced side.

“It was a slow start. We came back really well, but the big thing was to realise we don’t need to kick the ball away. We need to go through the phases, as we have shown against the teams in our league.

“Against a Premiership side we kept it to eight or nine phases and scored two great tries at the end of the first half to go in ahead.

“It’s just ball retention, and stretching teams, as we have got the runners that can see the gaps once they have opened up.

“It’s a case of keeping that ball for as long as we can, looking after it, then the gaps will appear and we will get some tries.

“We have got to 40 or 50 points for a few weeks on the trot, which is a lot of tries in National 1 – no matter who we are playing.”

Orkney are looking to pick up from where they left off, when they host Greenock Wanderers in National 3.

The islanders recorded a 23-22 victory over Howe of Fife in their last outing three weeks ago.

With scrum-half Willie Thomson and the experienced James Linklater unavailable, head coach Derek Robb hopes the long lay-off will not prove disruptive.

He said: “Just when we had a bit of momentum, there has been a two-week break because of the internationals.

“We don’t know how that will impact us, as well as one or two personnel changes.”

Greenock have struggled for points, having won just one of their 13 matches this term.

Having won 38-19 when the sides last met at Pickaquoy in October, Robb hopes his sixthplaced side can rack up another victory.

Robb added: “If we can get into our rhythm and on to the front foot we are capable of hurting teams. We hope we can do that this weekend.”

HOPEFUL: Highland head coach Dave Carson says this week’s National 1 fixture away to Gala is a massive game for both teams, but one that his players are looking forward to.