Despite yet another setback with the health scare suffered by coach Bruce Rutherford ahead of today's vital Premiership play-off, Kelso remain confident they can bounce back in some style at Pennypit Park.

The Borders club may have taken part in last weekend's Tennent's Velvet Scottish Cup final, but they have always made it clear that this meeting with Heriot's FP in Prestonpans holds the key both to how their season should be judged, and to their future.

In Rutherford's absence, assistant coach Bob Hogarth took full control and he outlined just why it was so important for the side to recover from the loss of influential pair Adam Roxburgh and Iain Fairley, who have withdrawn from the side because they are in Scotland's tour party.

''If we want to do anything in the future in Scottish rugby then it is vital for the club that we are playing in the first division,'' said a man who was a member of the Kelso side which won back to back national titles in the late eighties.

''But we know we have to maintain a place in the first division with the squad of players we have available this weekend.

''We will also have players like Kevin Utterson and Graeme Aitchison on the sidelines, so we have become used to being without key players throughout the season.

''However, it is a testament to the way the squad has developed over the season that we are in this position. Adam Roxburgh, in particular, is a real inspiration to a lot of the younger players, but we played a lot of matches in the early part of the season without him, and the players have learned.''

Hogarth expects players like Stuart Bennett, who will captain the side, Iain Fullarton, and half-backs Graham Cowe and John Wearne to take on substantial responsibility.

Indeed, Wearne's performance could be crucial to the outcome, not only as the play-maker, but as the goal-kicker. He had a disappointing time at Murrayfield, missing a succession of kickable penalties at a stage in the game where Kelso were very much in contention. It was, though, the way Kelso hung in throughout and made Hawks fight for their victory that gives Hogarth most hope for today.

''We showed up well, and I thought that they changed their style and took a far more professional approach to the game last week,'' he said of the less than flamboyant Hawks approach, which was in stark contrast to the way they had played even against first division opposition previously.

''It shows the respect they had for us, which is something I've been drumming into the side.''

Despite all that has happened this week, there clearly remains a bullish mood in the camp, as summed up by club president Ronnie Fleming.

''To be honest, despite all the bad news we had when the players arrived for Thursday training, everything was very positive. We're not going to spoil the season by throwing the towel in now,'' he said.

For Rutherford, the motivation to be at Pennypit is perhaps added to by the fact that it is Heriot's that Kelso are up against, as opposite number Kenny Milne observed.

This will be Milne's last game in charge after two years as coach of the Goldenacre club, an appointment he acknowledges could have been handled better when he took over the post two years ago.

''I wish Bruce well,'' he said on hearing of his rival's illness. ''He's a nice lad and we got on pretty well when he coached Heriot's in my last season with the club. At the end of that season I told Heriot's I'd been made an offer to coach Haddington, but they wanted to keep me at the club. To be honest, I felt Bruce got treated a wee bit badly at the time.''

Milne is, himself, hoping to ensure that he does not leave the head coach's post on a low note, though not for any particularly personal reason.

''It's not that special an occasion from that point of view,'' he said at the end of a 15-year stint with the club. ''I still envisage taking sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I just don't feel able to continue to take on the full responsibility.

''But one of the main motivations for us is that Heriot's FP have never been relegated before. It is very important to everyone not to be involved with the first side to go down.''

Though he may be leaving, Milne has led by example this week in demonstrating his commitment to the cause.

He took the first half of the week off work to go fishing on Deeside, but explained: ''I was still dashing up and down the road to take training. If the coach doesn't show commitment who will.''

Heriot's FP: G Lawrie; J Melvin, P Smith, V Payot, G Lawson; G Ross, D Patterson; A Binnie, C Turnbull, J Bryce, D Boswell, A Dall, T McVie, G Dall, J Bell.

Kelso: D Baird; R Carruthers, G Laing, S Ross, W Jackson; J Wearne, G Cowe; S Murray, K Thomson, D Howlett, I Fullarton, S Laing, S Bennett, S Forsyth, K Hendrie.