Highland head coach Davie Carson aims to build strong foundations for next season by finishing the remainder of the current National 1 campaign undefeated.
The Inverness outfit sit third in the table, with tomorrow’s trip to Ayr the first of five games remaining this term.
Although Carson still harbours hope of catching second placed Heriot’s, who are nine points ahead, he says a strong finish to his side’s maiden National 1 season can boost preparations for next year.
Carson said: “We are just building towards next year. We have had a couple of dips over the season as you would expect with a team going up to National 1 for the first time.
“After a hard defeat down at Heriot’s just after the turn of the year we told the players they can go undefeated until the end of the season.
“We want to try and do that, and finish as high up as we can. Whether we finish third, or if Heriot’s slip up and we finish second, either way it would be a fantastic achievement.
“We want to just keep winning as we are playing some really good rugby just now. We just want to try and continue that.”
Highland are looking to follow up last weekend’s 16-10 victory away to Gala when they face ninth-placed Ayr, with Carson adding: “Any win in the Borders is big, but we put a massive display in in horrible conditions. It was probably a continuation from the Watsonian and Marr games. I think the Marr one was the big one which gives us the confidence to know we are good enough to compete with any team in this league on our day.
“Teams are always stronger at home, but we have got to a certain level and they have kept that going against Gala.
“If we win down at Gala and then get beat down at Ayr, it doesn’t count for anything really. We have to continue with these performances at all levels, but we shown we are capable of it.
“It’s a challenge for the players. People looking at the table would think we should win, and we should if we play with the intensity and aggression we have been doing since the turn of the year.”