BOROUGHMUIR have swooped to strengthen their squad ahead of putting an unbeaten Scottish Hydro Electric Premiership record on the line at GHA tomorrow.

The league leaders are poised to give a debut to Munster under-21 winger Ed Mills, who has moved to the Capital for university studies from Limerick club Dolphin while second row Stuart Waddell has rejoined from Watsonians and is now eligible to turn out after an obligatory stand-down period.

'Muir manager Grant Wilson says Irishman Mills will enhance the competition for back-line places.

"Ed has loads of pace and would actually have been part of our set-up last year. However, he landed a contract in Irish club rugby which saw him put off studies until now," explained Wilson.

A prolific try-scorer, Mills has struck three times in two outings while playing his way through the 'Muir reserves and, additionally, has made his mark as a goal-kicker.

Despite increasing resources, manager Wilson is adamant the team must keep their feet on the ground even after seven straight wins on a day when utility forward Euan Matheson is also back in the frame after injury and in line for his first appearance of the season.

"Ian Rankin (the Scottish amateur team coach) is a pretty shrewd judge and he assured me this week that GHA are in a false position at the foot of the table and a bit of a banana skin if we are not totally focused," said Wilson.

Meanwhile, heading in the opposite direction along the M8 will be Glasgow Hawks en route to Heriot's against whom they lost home and away in the league last season. Despite those results, Heriot's coach Bob McKillop is wary, saying: "Of more relevance than that league double is the fact that Hawks put us out of the Scottish Cup during a run which convinced me they were the best around in the second half of last season.

"It has astonished me to see Hawks languishing in the bottom half of the table and any week now I expect a backlash from opponents who have still been posting high scores.

"For example, to notch 31 points against Watsonians last week suggests that, even though they lost, Hawks just need to cut out a few mistakes and they'll show the title form many were predicting of them when they won our pre-season 15-a-side tournament at Goldenacre."

To combat Hawks' striking ability McKillop will continue to set great store by teenage flankers Chris Fusaro and Struan Dewar both of whom have used a first Premiership season to play their way into the Scotland sevens squad.

According to McKillop, who is hoping to have Jim Thompson and Marc Teague back from injury, the flankers' promotions are just the start of big things to come.

"Both started the season on a high and have maintained consistently high standards," said McKillop.

Expected to return for Hawks is highly-rated Kiwi back row Mark Sitch and coach David Wilson admits his experience will be vital.

"The danger element with Heriot's usually stems from whether they can get sufficient broken play possession for a talented back-line and our challenge is to cut off supplies."

There appears to be no end to the versatility shown by Edinburgh Accies utility back Matt Coupar whose try-scoring appearances on the wing and previously a Second Division player-of-the-year accolade at scrum half is now poised to turn out at centre, away to Stirling County.

Victory for third-bottom Accies against their second-bottom rivals will ease anxieties but the reshuffle involving Coupar is caused by a knee ligament injury which is likely to put Aussie centre Luke McCann out for a month. Set to turn out for Accies after limping off against Ayr last week is captain Dan Teague.

Elsewhere, Watsonians have an opportunity at home to Dundee to show their highest points tally of the season - 41 - when winning at Hawks last weekend was no flash in the pan. Victory is essential if the Myresiders are to keep on the coat-tails of the leaders.

As for champions Currie, they face a stiff examination at Ayr after being forced to come from behind in ending a three-match losing streak at home to GHA.

This article was posted on 19-Oct-2007, 11:55 by Hugh Barrow.