Scotland’s cup debutants gear up for tough Welsh challenge

The excitement is building at both Mayfield and Bridgehaugh this week with Dundee HSFP and Stirling County preparing to play their first matches in the British & Irish Cup.

Neither club has had the greatest start to the RBS Premiership season, with Dundee HSFP in ninth place and Stirling County in seventh, but their endeavours in claiming a top-four place in 2011/12 has meant 13 October has been highlighted in the diary for some time.

The sides will play their opening fixtures in a cross-border competition that has grown in stature over the last few years on Saturday with Dundee HSFP off to Swansea and Stirling County hosting Neath.

The tournament has been expanded to 32 teams this year, with 12 Welsh Premiership clubs, 12 English Championship sides, four Irish ‘A’ teams and Gala and Melrose bringing Scotland’s complement to four. Speaking at a photoshoot in the City of Discovery yesterday, Dundee HSFP president Gerry Tosh stated that he is looking forward to travelling down to Glamorgan this weekend.

He said: “The club is hugely proud to be representing Scotland in this event and it shows the progress we have made over the last few years.

“Last season, the team did magnificently well to finish second in the top flight and it is pleasing to see the players who got us in to this position being allowed to test themselves against tough opposition. Swansea are a club with a great history and we are looking forward to heading down there and giving it our best shot.”

Swansea are this year celebrating the 100th anniversary of their victory over the South African tourists, and 20 years since they saw off the challenge of Australia.

Like Dundee HSFP, who will fly down on Friday for the match, they have had an indifferent start to the campaign, with one win from seven in the Welsh Premiership.

The Taysiders will rely heavily on experienced players such as Richie Hawkins and Alan Brown to lead from the front and they can take heart from the fact that Currie won 38-21 at the St Helens ground in this event last term.

Dundee HSFP director of rugby Ian Rankin added: “The players who are fit are relishing this match and I am looking forward to taking a team to Wales once again.”

The Cornish Pirates, who were the inaugural British & Irish Cup winners in 2009/10, and Camarthen make up Pool Three.

Meanwhile, Stirling County captain Alex Moffat cannot wait to be involved in the event.

One of the ‘old guard’ at County, hooker Moffat believes the game against Neath and further fixtures in the tournament are testament to the growth of the club and how hard the players worked last season when they secured a top four-spot on the last day.

He said: “Given the way we have started the league, this is a welcome break for us and the players have been talking about it quite a bit. We know we have not become a bad side overnight, but there are things we need to improve on from the opening weeks of the season if we are to compete with Neath.

“It is a great opportunity for our team to play at a higher level. We have a lot of young talented guys in the squad and they will be relishing this opportunity.”

County president Kevin Robertson added: “We are making a big thing of the British & Irish Cup at the club and we think it can help inspire youngsters, not just at County, but from schools and other clubs in the area to keep going with their rugby.

“Our youth section has produced numerous players, many of whom have progressed to the first XV and will be involved on Saturday. It should be a great day.”

It will be intriguing to see how County’s young crop get on in the event, while Neath will head north just days after winger Jason Howells suffered a fractured neck in the Welsh Premiership defeat to Bedwas.

The teams are joined in Pool Two by Bedford Blues and Bedwas.