Stew Mel vs Boroughmuir, 6/3/10

Inverleith Angle

I extend a warm welcome to George Clark, President of Boroughmuir, his committee, Fergus Pringle and his coaching staff, Euan Matheson and his team, to Inverleith.

Sadly this will be our last home game in Premier 1 meantime. The experience has, in the main, been enjoyable, although there was not much to savour on Wednesday night when our young side was put to the sword by Currie.

Currie, looking to extend their points differential, showed no mercy, and what was a difficult task became impossible once Ben Leathes was sent off. The players have enjoyed testing themselves against the best club players in Scotland, and we thank Ryan Grant and Callum Forrester, our two draft players, for enthusiastically playing for us when available. We wish both all the best in their professional careers.

Stewart's Melville is an excellent place for youngsters looking to enjoy their rugby and put themselves in the 'frame' for a professional contract, and I believe that, if we continue to offer good coaching, backed up by the latest thinking from Murrayfield, good medical facilities and physiotherapy we will be an attractive proposition for anyone. This is how we must develop, and, if we can secure additional sponsorship, we can develop these areas in more depth.

We have a core group of players, so let's try and give them every encouragement to bounce back to the first division. The occasional player from overseas can make a difference, but recruiting these players is expensive and the benefits are short term. Craig Docherty has agreed to be our 'Director of Rugby' next year, and I hope he is successful in retaining and attracting players.

Being your President, I have spent time at Murrayfield listening to the latest thoughts on player development. I think we have to listen to what the paid Performance Director and his support team tell us. Although we cannot always see the benefit as we look at things from a club angle, we have to give the people who will rise or fall by their decisions the freedom to implement their ideas - otherwise what is the point of employing them?

Although the Italy game was disappointing, and, with 20 plus plays in the Italian 22, we should really have found a way over the line, I found myself admiring the character of the Italian team. They have a lot of inspirational players that give everything for the jersey, and, with 20 minutes to go, it came down to who wanted it the most?

I hope you enjoy the game today, and that you can join us in the Clubhouse afterwards, where Denise, Jessica and the staff can be relied upon to give you a warm welcome.

Gavin Calder

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