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| Photo by John MacTavish |
Amazingly, the weather forecasters are predicting that it's going to stay dry through Saturday. That's two good weeks on the trot, and when was the last time people in many parts of Scotland could say that?
Northern California Camanachd Club eat your heart out.
Well, maybe not.
Premiership table toppers and title holders Newtonmore take on Kyles in a reverse of last season's thrilling title deciding match at Dunoon. A seemingly depleted Kyles team fired out a statement of intent last week by thrashing Kingussie 5-2 despite falling behind in the first half. But the champions fell into something of a groove themselves by demolishing Inveraray 6-2 at the Argyll side's Winterton pitch - again after falling a goal behind. It's going to be an intriguing tie at the Eilan - and one that might yet play an important role in deciding the destination of the Orion Premiership title.
In the only other top table tie, Kilmallie seek their first win of 2012 as they take on Inveraray at Canal Park. One point from three games may be slim pickings, but two single-goal defeats and a draw away to Bute suggests there may be more to come from Kilmallie. Inveraray played only their second game of the season against Newtonmore last week and found them hard to live with, both up front and in defence. Aray is never, though, a team to write off and they have experience in spades for this one.
Lovat are the only undefeated team in the top four, and lie in second place in the premiership - but this week a different challenge awaits with an away tie in the Co-operative MacTavish Cup first round versus Beauly, a side currently top of north division one. An interesting one this, and a potential banana skin for the young Lovat side.
In the only all-premier MacTavish fixture, struggling cup holders Kingussie certainly won't relish an away game facing a confident Kinlochshiel, who lie (and who would have predicted this at the start of the season?) five places and three points ahead of the men from the Dell in the embryonic league table.
Inverness will travel to Drumnadrochit hoping to cause an upset - and might give Glenurquhart a fright. The other MacTavish Cup encounters involve Lochaber who are at home to Lochcarron, while Strathglass entertain Skye Camanachd.
The oldest competition in shinty also kicks off this weekend, with the first round of the AJG Parcels Celtic Society Cup. It's the south division one sides who are taking a bow with one premier club also getting into the act - Bute. The islanders travel to Dalmally to play Glenorchy in a fixture that (on paper - whatever that might mean) should be straightforward enough for them. But it's at Dalmally, on a field that - even after a dry fortnight - might not rival the Wembley sward, and it might yet prove tricky.
Elsewhere, Aberdour and Glasgow Mid Argyll - dead level in the league - meet in what could be a close one, while a Strachur side that picked up its first league point of the season last week travels to face a bright young Oban Celtic team.
It's an inter-island affair meanwhile in the Sutherland Cup first round. Bute juniors, lying eighth in south division two, entertain last year's semi-finalists, Skye. The men from the Misty Isle are certainly seeing the view from near the summit of north division two, tucked in a point behind leaders Newtonmore.
The form book can, though, be chucked over the side of the Rhubodach ferry for this one-off match.* Bute is never an easy place to go, and the Brandanes are always a tough nut to crack.
*Footnote: Shinty fan would never condone the chucking of any book, form or otherwise, from any form of transport, whether by land, sea or air. The reference above is merely a figure of speech intended to represent...ach, to hell with it - you would need to be quick in any case, and a good throw would make it right across the from Colintraive to Bute anyway.
Just remember it's bad form to chuck around form books.
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