Rugby: Mike Blair on mend hands Rob Moffat boost for Cup

EDINBURGH RUGBY will be playing close attention to the fitness of injured skipper Mike Blair as the Heineken European Cup prepares to resume with a visit to Ulster on Friday.

Scrum-half Blair has been missing since damaging an ankle in the Autumn internationals but according to Edinburgh coach Rob Moffat a return will occur sooner rather than later having had a special boot removed from his foot which aided recovery.

"Mike is rehabbing now, progressing well. He is getting closer (to a return]," said Moffat.

Meanwhile, Ulster have called in Irish defence coach Les Kiss in a move geared to stopping Edinburgh completing a Euro double over them.

And Kiss has done his homework on Edinburgh, saying: "We worked on what Edinburgh are going to throw at us.

"They have been a good team this year with ball in hand. They like to play with a bit of width in their game and we were covering a few of the basics on what we are trying to achieve defensively."

Edinburgh must set high standards based on try bonus points if they are to reach the knock-out stages since their maximum attainable points tally is 19 – and that has been sufficient to allow a side through only once.