Dundee hope to ignite campaign

Extract from The Courier & Advertiser 27 Sep 2024 BY GARY HEATLY

STRUGGLING: Dundee and Highland have both lost

Dundee Rugby and Highland have lost their first four matches in the Arnold Clark National One season, meaning tomorrow’s clash at Canal Park in Inverness is a big one for both clubs.

Since the rejig of the men’s leagues over the summer, three teams from 10 now go down from this division at the end of 2024/25 so every match of the 18 in the regular season counts.

Given the tough start Dundee have had under new head coach Alan Clark, with just three bonus points coming from the first month of the campaign to sit ninth, they will be looking for a win up north to kickstart their campaign.

“We are treating tomorrow as business as usual,” Clark said.

“There’s a narrative that says we should be approaching the game as a ‘must win’ because both teams are none from four in terms of wins.

“However, barring the Glasgow Accies game, we feel we could have won the their first four matches of the National One league season. others and we are a new set-up in terms of coaches, players and culture and that takes time to bed in.

“The message for all of us remains the same this week as a result. We can’t throw away all the good work we’ve done because our league position isn’t great.

“It’s how we’re playing that matters at this stage.

“This week we’ve made a couple of changes to the team. Ryan Beresford starts after some excellent recent performances at tighthead prop and, after showing his versatility and positive mindset over the past couple of weeks, Callum O’Hagan starts at 10.”

With Sean Gauld unavailable, Stuart Kirk will captain Dundee.

When the sides met at the same venue last November, Highland won 38-12.

That time around, Dundee scored first and were 12-7 up at one point during the first half, but Highland fought back to win with a bonus point.