EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS REPORTS---BILL LOTHIAN
HERIOT'S playmaker Murray Strang aims to take a further step towards a rare place in Scottish rugby cup history when his team run out against Jed-Forest in a Goldenacre semi-final tomorrow.

The 26-year-old clubs internationalist was in the Glasgow Hawks squad which triumphed a year ago and, following a summer move along the M8 due to work commitments, now stands just 80 minutes from a return.

It is his association with the tournament that saw Heriot's coach Bob McKillop invite him to address the squad at the outset of their campaign and the message from Strang that a Cup run can provide lasting memories is obviously one that has hit home.

He said: "Especially with Boroughmuir winning the league early, the Cup represented the best way to keep the season alive for a lot of clubs.

"There is an awful lot of passion that can be stirred by reaching Murrayfield, too, and if we can overcome Jed it will be an experience players and supporters talk about for a long time to come.

"At the same time, we are all well aware that playing against Second Division opposition in Jed means that the pressure is on us.

"Also, their style of play is likely to mean more questions being asked of our backs compared to when we won the quarter-final last Thursday away to an Ayr side whose compact approach meant our forwards had to rise to that challenge."

According to Strang, the icing on that particular cake was the fact that Heriot's had lost to Ayr in both league meetings.

He said: "The guys really raised their game and we will have to maintain those standards because Jed have players like Clark Laidlaw, who'll really encourage them to havea go."

Coach McKillop credits Strang with finding his best form at just the right time to pilot Heriot's towards Murrayfield while there is special mention for Tam McVie, who, 24 hours after representing the Barbarians, was back on duty at Ayr.

"With 20 minutes to go I offered to withdraw Tam and he told me in no uncertain terms he wanted to see the job through.

"If the win over Ayr was Murray Strang's best for the club then the overall performance was the highlight of my two-year association with Heriot's."

Heriot's promising second row Fraser Mackenzie was injured training with Edinburgh this week and McKillop is still undecided about the centre and tight head propping berths.

This article was originally posted on 18-Apr-2008, 21:47 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 18-Apr-2008, 21:48.