Rugby: Currie set for a daytime raid on Pirates

Currie coach Ally Donaldson has underlined the scale of the task facing his men when they meet Cornish Pirates on British & Irish Cup duty in Penzance tomorrow.

Looking ahead to the opening Pool A clash with the defending champions, Donaldson said: "I've said to our guys that with the possible exception of Japan (whom they met last season), it will be the best quality team Currie have ever faced."

Adding to the challenge is the fact that the Malleny Park men have been forced to surrender home advantage. With their pitch unplayable, and no alternative available north of the border, the match has been switched to the Mennaye in Penzance.

Pirates officials have agreed to pay the cost of a charter flight that will leave Edinburgh Airport at 8.00am and return at 8.00pm. While admitting that the situation is far from ideal, Donaldson and his players are now focused on the job in hand. "Switching it was the only option", he continued. "We're getting a game out of it. We haven't been able to prepare the way we would have wanted but we've just got to get on with it."

Currie's last competitive outing three weeks ago hinted at a return to the form that brought them the Premiership title last season. But, the momentum has been lost, with training since then mainly indoors. The coach has been able to assess the strengths of the opposition by tuning in to Pirates TV, the club's in-house coverage. And he admits that he has been impressed by what he has observed of a side that features a familiar face in former Heriot's man Ian Nimmo and currently lies third in the English Championship.

"It's going to be a massive test and we'll have to be at our best. They are the holders and they take it very seriously," he said. "They are powerful and very physical at the breakdown. And they have a lot of pace behind the scrum. But the main thing for us is to concentrate on getting ourselves right."

Donaldson welcomes back Andy Adam from a broken arm sustained in September, although Mark Cairns retains the captaincy. And, despite a drafting system that allows clubs to draw on professionals, he has remained loyal to his own men - the only exception being Glasgow's Alex Dunbar as cover for James Johnstone and Dougie Fife who are on Scotland Sevens duty.

Currie: T Brown, A Dunbar, H Abercrombie, A MacMahon, A Turnbull, M Scott, R Snedden, J Cox, S Simonsen, A Hamilton, R Wilson, G Temple, M Cairns, M Entwhistle, R Weston, Subs F Scott, R Merrilees, A Adam, A Best, A Binikos, J Smith, A Whittingham.