EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS REPORTS
Couper plans to resume silver service with 'Muir next year
COLIN RENTON
BOROUGHMUIR skipper Rory Couper has pledged to set aside the disappointment of a league campaign, that saw the Meggetland men fail to deliver on their potential, and challenge for silverware in the new year.

The 26-year-old winger, who was fielded at full back in last Saturday's Premiership encounter with Watsonians due to injuries and call-offs, insists that the 'Muir players will not take any baggage into the Cup and Super Cup competitions, despite a spectacular fall from grace that saw them toppled from top spot after eight matches to occupy seventh place as they prepare to complete their league campaign at home to relegated Aberdeen Grammar.

Couper said: "The league is now over and we have known for some time now that it was over for us so it's not been our top priority. The main thing for us now is concentrating on next year, when we play in the Cup and the Super Cup.

"As far as everyone at the club is concerned, the line has been drawn, the slate has been wiped clean and it's now a big push for next year."

Couper was at a loss to explain why 'Muir's season fell apart in such dramatic fashion, although clearly the loss of a string of key players - even for a side with such strength in depth - was a contributory factor.

He said: "I don't what it was. I'm not sure if we were sitting at the top and maybe we thought that was the work done.

"When you then go away to play Aberdeen, who were a team playing at home and dying for a win, it's a hard place to go. We lost that match. I don't know if the guys then started to think that it must have been a mistake that we were top of the league. But, whatever it was, we just let it drop and then we couldn't get back into the rhythm." The hammer blow came the following week, as Couper explained, saying: "We then went to Dundee and we lost three guys to injury during that match - Angus (Martyn), Chris (Capaldi) and Dave Cunningham. So, when we went to Currie a few weeks later we got annihilated because we had six or seven guys missing. That was the big down point because instead of building, we started to lose a few guys and the confidence started to drift."

"We have never really had everyone available every week. For our game against Watsonians we had a number of people unavailable for various reasons. It would be nice if in the new year we could get everyone at training and start to build our confidence back up."

'Muir halted the downward spiral in league results with a draw at home to Ayr earlier this month, an outcome that was ultimately a killer blow that ruled the visitors out of the championship race, but subsequent losses against Capital rivals Heriot's and 'Sonians mean that the Meggetland captain is reluctant to suggest that the worst is now behind his side.

"It's hard to say that we have turned the corner because we have just been beaten quite badly by Watsonians and every loss is a bad loss. So we clearly still have a lot of work to do," he admitted.

However, he remains upbeat and knows that all of the players in the 'Muir squad are desperate to use the forthcoming challenges as an opportunity to show their talents.

"Over the festive period, a lot of guys will be away so there is not going to be a full emphasis on ball skills or rugby training. But there will be fitness sessions and we are going to work on our fitness over the next month."

And he insists 'Muir will go into the two remaining competitions knowing that, if everything clicks into place, they can compete with any other side in the top flight, particularly when the experimental rules apply in the new Premier 1 Super Cup, which starts for 'Muir with a trip to face deposed league champions Glasgow Hawks on January 6.

"The Super Cup is going to be a fitter game and we know we will have to be fit to play in it. We think we can do well in it because we like loose play and we like the fitness side of things," added Couper.

"The ball is in our court and if we can really work on it hopefully things can come good for us."

This article was posted on 30-Dec-2006, 08:40 by Hugh Barrow.