‘BREAK WON’T WORRY US’

JAMES TAVERNIER last night insisted that an enforced three-week break before the Scottish Cup Final won’t derail Rangers’ chances of defeating Hibernian. Mark Warburton’s men wrap up their league programme with trips to Livingston tomorrow and St Mirren on Saturday before going into cold storage before the May 21 Hampden showdown. Aware that stagnation could be an issue during the 21-day gap, Warburton will allow his players time off before travelling to England for a closed-doors friendly. Tavernier is in no doubt his team-mates won’t be left in the starting blocks when the Final gets under way. ‘We’re going to have plenty of rest and if we can get it and train hard it’s going to be perfect,’ he said. ‘We’re not going to be stung with a lot of games leading up to the Final. We’ve got two in the league and want to finish off strongly to get the momentum.’ Asked if there was a worry the competitive edge might dwindle, Tavernier replied: ‘No, we’ll be fully rested and hungry to play again at Hampden. It’s a final and a chance for Europe, so the boys are hungry and can’t wait for the game. ‘We had a long time to wait for the game against Celtic after the semi-final draw was made but the boys were very hungry from the start for that one and they’re very hungry for this one as well. ‘It’s been a tough month so getting that break will help any of the lads who have had knocks or bruises get back fit again. Waggy (Martyn Waghorn) and Temps (David Templeton) are getting close to being fit and having that three weeks off will be a positive.’