Musselburgh boss Hughes wants men up for the cup

Musselburgh coach Brian Hughes has called on his side to seize the chance of a fresh start provided by the new-look Scottish Cup, writes Bill Lothian.

After an indifferent first half in Division Three, where they sit third bottom, one of Scottish rugby's top talent producers have the chance to show their true capabilities during a visit from free-scoring Dundee High.

"I believe we turned a corner last week at unbeaten Whitecraigs," said Hughes.

"The score (19-35) might suggest otherwise but it was only in the closing moments that we fell away having had a player sent off and another sin-binned."

He added: "On four other occasions, we have been beaten in the final few minutes and, once we get players back from injury, things will improve. Also, our colts are again going well and, when their league finishes around Christmas, there will be opportunities to blood some highly-promising youngsters."

Currently, Musselburgh lead the Edinburgh colts league.

A debut for Dundee High beckons for ex-Scotland under-18 full back Jamie Urquhart. Otherwise, they stick with the same team including Scotland's top try scorer, James Fleming, who last week claimed a brace to take his total from 11 games to 17. Coach Ian Rankin warns his side: "Stoneyhill has never been a happy hunting ground for many teams, especially in the cup."