Match Preview

Dundee need huge effort in Highlands
Extract from The Courier & Advertiser 3 Nov 2023 BY GARY HEATLY

Dundee Rugby know they will need one of their best performances of the National One season to date tomorrow if they are to come away with a positive result from their Highland road trip.

Ahead of the match which starts the second half of the season, Dundee are eighth in the table while Highland are second and at their Canal Park home.

When the two sides met on the opening day of the campaign back in September, Highland won 47-19 in the City of Discovery and, ahead of the return fixture, Dundee captain Sean Gauld said: “We are no strangers to the threat that Highland pose.

“The three-hour bus trip to Inverness is always a pretty gruelling thought, but travelling isn’t something that’s new to us as out of the eight games we’ve played this season five have been away fixtures.

“Last week we were away to Gala and through our ill discipline we let them get ahead. Our second half in games always seems to be our strongest, we came out fighting after the break at Netherdale (before losing 42-32).

“As we go away to Inverness our focus is clear, we must keep the ball for multiple phases and put Highland under pressure.

“We know they have a strong scrum and lineout so we are going to try and keep the ball in play for as long as possible. We have quite a few ball players in the team so hopefully through them we can break Highland’s defence.”