The foundation is familiar enough, but there’s a new broom sweeping through Mayfield for the 2014-15 season as Dundee HSFP rely on youth and locals for the new BT National League One season.
High came close to the play-offs last year, their first in the second tier after dropping down and a manful effort given the turnover in personnel the club went through. It’s hardly been any different this year.
The front row surprises no one with skipper Alan Brown the anchor, Steve Longwell at loose head and Darrel Russell at hooker, but barring the reassuring presence of Andy Dymock the best scrum-half in club rugby according to his coach Colin Robertson it’s all change.
“Building the team this summer has been with a strong emphasis on our partnership with the University of Dundee and backing the young players coming out of the high school,” said Robertson of a team that features more actual FPs than in recent seasons.
Duncan Leese, a star at centre for Scotland at age-group level, will play fly-half with George Arnott and the tall speedster Blair Cochrane who have all graduated to the club from the school.
Matty Harland and Will Brown, two strapping, ball-carrying Irish locks from what has proved to be a rich source for Dundee through the university Andy Linton, Neil McComb, Tony McWhirter among others in recent times will start.
“We have had an intense pre-season with games against Falkirk, Heriots and Boroughmuir followed by a good win in the cup at Kirkcaldy last week, and we’re keen to see how we go against Marr in the home opener,” said Robertson.
The upwardly mobile Troon club are among the most ambitious in Scottish rugby having been promoted from the Championship West Division last year, earning the praise of former High coach, now SRU president, Ian Rankin for their development work.
Howe of Fife have been denied promotion in such variously frustrating ways over the last four seasons that this must be the year, only the redrawing of the national leagues makes winning a much tougher prospect this year.
Still, Howe have been almost unassailable at Duffus Park no matter what the quality of opposition and they open their National League Two campaign against Hamilton with most of last year’s squad still intact.
Age-group caps Jamie Ritchie and Cameron Fenton have been moved on to pro rugby while the prolific Rory Drummond has joined Watsonians, but the Howe conveyor belt of talent continues to work well.
Scrum-half Stewart Lathangie will skipper the team this year, which once again is almost entirely home-reared James Lawrie is the only foreigner, and he’s from Dunfermline!
Kirkcaldy gave a good account of themselves in their BT Cup match against Dundee HSFP last week but there’s no question that this year will a tougher one for a Blues side still in transition and relying on youth.
Some doom-laden portents at Beveridge Park had them struggling last season but in the end the team got to a position of comfort in the old Championship East Division fairly easily.
With the leagues merged again, Kirkcaldy open with a home match against another ambitious club with an accent on developing their own, Aberdeenshire.
Perthshire and Dunfermline battled all season long for the Caledonia One title last year and although Shire emerged victorious, both teams ended up in National League Three on the slight restructuring of the divisions.
Both are away from home for the start of the season, Perthshire in Edinburgh at Lasswade and Dunfie heading to Burnbrae to take on West.
Caledonia Division One looks like a particularly competitive league this season with probably Orkney favourites, but both Hillfoots and Glenrothes, coming up strongly from Midlands Two last year, could be teams to watch in the top echelon of the regional leagues.
Hillfoots’ opener at Strathmore and Glens hosting Highland a repeat of last year’s SRU Bowl final should be decent gauges for the new guys in the division.
* Dundee HSFP team: Nick Alston; Blair Cochrane, Matty O’Sullivan, Tim McKavanagh, Ollie Cain; Duncan Leese, Andy Dymock; Stephen Longwell, Darrell Russell, Alan Brown (capt); Matt Harland, Will Brown; George Arnott, Jonny Petty, Donald Sangster. Replacements: Scott Burnett, Jonny Gibson, James Mulligan, Harry Millar, Adam Lowry.