The biggest and most important game in Dundee HSFP’s recent history seems to be renewed with every passing week at the moment, and this weekend’s RBS Cup semi-final clash with Gala continues the sequence.
It may be surpassed as early as next week when High have a potentially title-winning clash with Stirling County, and beyond that, of course, by a cup final date if they can defeat the Maroons for the second time in a month.
That game was a tense, low-scoring affair won 15-12 by Dundee by virtue of a late try from Andy McLean, but High’s director of coaching Ian Rankin suggests things will be different on Saturday.
”Both clubs have been scoring pretty freely in the last couple of weeks and this game promises to be an absolute cracker,” he said. ”There were 278 points scored in last week’s Prem One games, no doubt down to the great spell of weather but also to positive refereeing which is helping in no small way to bring back spectators in growing numbers.”
Rankin and Gala’s George Graham, the former Scotland international and forwards coach, have a long-standing mutual respect. The Mayfield coach is impressed with what Graham has done with his young squad this season, piloting them to a British and Irish Cup place in their first year back in Premier One as well as a cup semi-final at Melrose’s expense.
Although High are regarded as having a cup reputation having reached Murrayfield three years in succession, it is as long as seven years since they were in a semi-final and the club were still in Premier Two when they defeated Aberdeen Grammar to reach their second cup final.
There are three survivors in Saturday’s starting team from the 25-18 win in club skipper Neil Dymock, fellow prop Alan Brown although he was still a force from the back row in those days and lock Richie Hawkins.
Back-rower Chris Cumming came off the bench for that semi and starts on Saturday, while Ross Lemon started and scored the crucial try against Grammar in 2005 but is on the bench this week.
The centre/wing is the only change from the team that played sublimely for an hour against Currie last week, to make way for the return of Aussie centre Robbie Lavery, who has been out with a wrist injury since the team’s last defeat, at Ayr in February still the club’s only defeat in 2012 so far.
Jack Steele, the club’s top scorer this season, moves from centre to wing with Lemon going to the bench instead of the unlucky Alan Clark.
One sad note to the week has been the passing of John McAffer one of the club’s long-time stalwarts last weekend at the age of 78.
Dundee team Cam Wyper; Andy McLean, Harry Duthie, Robbie Lavery, Jack Steele; Cam Brown, Andy Dymock; Neil Dymock (captain), Simon Forrest, Alan Brown; Andy Linton, Richie Hawkins; Chris Cumming, Richie McIver, Danny Levison. Replacements: Darrel Russell, Gavin Robertson, Andy Redmayne, Jamie Morrison, Ross Lemon.