Victory over Jed Forest this weekend will give Aberdeen Grammar the perfect tonic in their battle against relegation.
Grammar head to the Borders needing a win to cut the gap at the bottom of the division and give themselves a fighting chance of avoiding the drop in 2022.
This fixture has been targeted for a number of weeks as crucial to their survival hopes, with 10 points separating the two sides at the foot of the Premiership.
After a tumultuous start to the season, which saw them lose their first 10 games and be beset by injuries, looks to be behind them, after they defeated Glasgow Hawks two weeks ago.
They lost 17-6 to high-flying Marr last weekend in a mudbath at Rubislaw but team manager John Stewart feels like they are starting to show what they are capable of.
“It’s the last game of the year and it’s one we’ve spoken about. It’s crunch time and a crucial game,” he said.
“This is the business end of the season now. If we win this weekend and deny Jed any points, it puts is into contention after Christmas. A couple of victories would really put us into the mix of avoiding relegation.
“If we get full points against Jed then we’re not that far behind. We’ve got Musselburgh straight after Christmas at home which is a massive game, then the final game of the season is Selkirk at home. We’ve got two of the four above us on home turf (to play).
“Win on Saturday and I think we’ll be in a strong position looking ahead.”
It does not appear that is too little, too late for Grammar either, with time still to rectify their situation.
They will have five games in the new year to save their Premiership status and appear to be in a much better position to do so.
“The turning point for me was the GHA game. People will say ‘yeah but you lost’ but we only lost by seven points and dominated that game,” added Stewart.
“From the start of the season to now, it feels totally different. The injuries have started to weaken a little and I think the last three or four weeks are a truer reflection of what we are as a club.
“When you look at the results recently and maybe speak to other clubs, we’re a lot more difficult to play against than what we were.”
Grammar will be without back Archie Andrade this weekend, who has made an impressive impact following his return from injury. Meanwhile Super 6-drafted players George Breese and Cammy Scott will return to their franchise clubs Stirling County and Southern Knights respectively after the game.
Stewart added: “They’ve made a really positive contribution to the club, they’ve really bought into us. It’s pleasant to see as it’s probably a thankless task for them to come up to Aberdeen to train and play, when they don’t really have a connection to the club.
“But they’ve enjoyed their time here, which is good.”
