Ryan is rushing out for revenge
Shire star ready for battle with Hillhead
Perthshire vice-captain Ryan Miller is out for revenge against Hillhead Jordanhill after a disappointing result earlier in the season.
The Eagles welcome the Glasgowbased squad to the North Inch on Saturday afternoon for a crucial BT National League Division 3 fixture.
Hillhead recorded a 24-15 win back in October but Miller knows Shire’s performance fell short of what they are capable of.
“Hillhead was one of the disappointing games in the first half of the season,” Miller said. “We played them away and were beaten by eight or nine points.
“We felt like we left a couple of scores out there and also gave away a couple of soft tries early on in the game.
“We’re confident going into the weekend.
“We’re on our home patch and want to put on a performance to get back to where we left off with the Dalziel game.
“We didn’t get off to the best of starts but we have proved with some of our results that, on our day, we can handle anyone in the league.”
Miller admits there has been a frustration at times this season when Shire have been unable to field a full strength team, leading to points being dropped.
“We have struggled a little bit but, when we get a full team out, we seem to be able to put in decent performances,” he said.
“Injuries and unavailability have been a problem but we’ve turned the corner. We’re hoping that continues into the weekend.
“It’s frustrating when we can’t get that full team out.
“We have been to a few games where we have taken nothing where we feel we should have taken at least a losing bonus.
“As a squad we feel like we have left a few points out there this season, which is disappointing.
“Looking at the league just now, we have beaten the teams below us in the first half of the season. But they are still closer to us than we would have liked. That’s because they are picking up bonus points.
“We’re hoping to go on a run where we will have enough wins on the board to take away the need for the bonus points.”
Shire retained their national league status this season despite being relegated last term. The loss of Edinburgh’s RHC gave the Perth side a second chance.
And Miller knows it was a slice of fortune that needs to be taken advantage of.
He said: “We were gearing up for a new challenge in Caledonia One. For myself I was looking to play at the highest level possible. So it was good that we stayed in the national leagues.” Vice-captain Ryan Miller