Every game from here on in is probably a must-win, but Dundee HSFP can move into a controlling position in the RBS National League promotion chase by maintaining their perfect home record.
Early pacesetters Watsonians have been hauled back into the pack a not uncommon experience for them as the grounds get softer and running rugby becomes more difficult and still hold second place, but HSFP could go ahead of them for the first time this season when the two clash at Mayfield.
Boroughmuir, the last team put to the sword at Mayfield, are probably away and clear for the outright promotion place, but Colin Robertson can argue with some justification that his is the form side in the division, with four successive wins.
They’ve won every fixture in cup and league at Mayfield this season.
“Watsonians will be a tough challenge for us, but we are really looking forward to it,” said the head coach.
“We have prepared well with the intense cup game against Aberdeen last week being an ideal lead-in.”
One certainly gets the impression that his first year at Mayfield has enthused the former Scotland age-group head coach, despite having to deal with a considerable turnover of player personnel over the summer.
“This group of players is a pleasure to work with and they have certainly turned it on at Mayfield all season, and with that comes the confidence to impose our game,” he added.
HSFP list the same team as last week, but with Calum Bowie starting on the left wing instead of Mike Brown. With the injury list now clearing, Robertson has been able to pick a near full-strength team for the last few league games.
Watsonians have made significant investment for promotion this year, coached this year by former Scotland internationals Marcus Di Rollo and Jason White.
They had a sticky spell of four defeats in six games after a blistering start to their campaign.
They got back on track with handsome wins in their last two league games, but were routed 41-0 in the cup at home by Premiership Currie last week.
Coming into the last third of the season in the Championship it seems that demanding bonus point wins every week is extreme, but that’s the required currency of the promotion chase between Musselburgh, Jed-Forest and Howe of Fife.
Burgh lead the trio, four points ahead of Jed and five on Howe, but have played one game more.
Not much should change this week if the games escape the weather, but Howe definitely have the trickiest assignment on the notoriously uneven Neilsen Park pitch at Haddington.
The crunch game is their next scheduled league outing, when the leaders come to Duffus Park in January, while Howe’s game in hand is in February against bottom club Hawick YM at home, a five-point banker one would expect.
Kirkcaldy, lying comfortably in fourth, if a long way out of the promotion chase, are at home to Aberdeenshire who have struggled on their travels thus far.
There’s a pre-Christmas break for regional rugby action this week with the exception of the RBS Midlands Bowl quarter-finals, which were wiped out by the last wet and windy weekend last month.
The meeting of the two Dundee and Stirling student teams at Riverside looks like the pick of the matches, with Hillfoots away at Crieff.