Kirkcaldy Rugby Club:

The Blues – coached by Quintan Sanft – go into the game sitting sixth in the table with 53 points from 19 games after a free weekend last Saturday, before which they had won 38-17 in their previous league fixture at home to Lasswade.

Despite taking on a Hamilton Bulls side who are propping up the rest and will be one of five sides relegated, Kirkcaldy director of rugby development Grant Letham is taking nothing for granted this weekend.

He told the Fife Free Press: “We have played Hamilton many times before, there’s a long history between the clubs.

"We have shared the same fortunes of going up and down the leagues, winning leagues and getting relegated.

"If you think you can go to Hamilton, turn up and win you will probably be leaving with dented pride because they’re a very good club, very well organised, lovely facilities, nice people and they’ll give it a good go.

"They won’t be there to let us just roll them over.”

This season has presented a harsh examination for teams in National 2, with imminent restructuring meaning that almost 42 per cent of its teams will take the drop.

"Hopefully the restructuring will make things better in the long run,” Letham said.

"But it’s going to mean that some teams are going to get shot up leagues and other teams are going to get thrown way down leagues.

"I think it’s fair to say that rugby has issues with teams not being able to fulfil fixtures.

"People got two seasons off during Covid and priorities changed. What used to be a Saturday of getting on a bus with your mates, being away all day and going out for a few beers at night etcetera, that’s fallen away off people’s radars now.

"People have other priorities and rugby isn’t the priority for everybody that it once was.

"It’s really sad. We had to withdraw our 2s from the Midlands league this year because we couldn’t guarantee that we were going to be able to fulfil the fixtures with bodies on the park.”