GLASGOW WARRIORS' new signing Pat MacArthur today revealed he is already working overtime in the gym to build the foundations for a shot at the first XV.

GLASGOW WARRIORS' new signing Pat MacArthur today revealed he is already working overtime in the gym to build the foundations for a shot at the first XV.

The powerful hooker is part of a group of Warriors who have been completing twice-daily weights sessions in order to add more power to the pack for next season.

And, after earning a new two-year deal with Sean Lineen's side, MacArthur is determined to make an all-out assault on earning the hooker's jersey despite opposition from Scotland internationals Fergus Thomson and Dougie Hall.

The 22-year-old said: "I am just delighted to have earned the two-year deal. Sean has put a lot of faith in me and I am confident I can put as much pressure on Ferg and Dougie as possible.

"Strength and conditioning is such a massive part of the game now that a lot of the boys who have not been involved with Scotland A' have been in for the last two weeks doing double weight sessions.

"You could say that this part of the summer is where the foundations are laid for the pack.

"We all know how important it is that the Glasgow pack acquires more power and dynamism and that when the season starts we are able to come out and dominate teams up front."

While Scotland international hooker Ross Ford had been tipped to land a Lions Test jersey over in South Africa, his erratic delivery at line out in the tour's warm-up matches has cost him his chance to do battle with the Boks.

MacArthur admits it highlights the amount of pressure which now rests on the put-in.

The Warriors star said: "The way the game is going there is a massive pressure on set- piece and, of course, the line-out.

"So the throw in from the hooker has an awful lot of pressure attached to it. Dougie, Ferg and me work out constantly with Stevie Scott, the hookers' coach, on throwing drills so that by the time we come to a game our technique is as solid as possible to withstand the pressure."

Despite some well-documented cases of horrific injuries caused by scrums collapsing, MacArthur is relaxed about his role as one of the main men up front.

He admitted: "We do an awful lot of rugby specific stuff like squats to strengthen your back and shrugs for your neck. Everything is built up to going into competitive games as confident as you can be in your body's ability to hold firm against the pressures in the scrum.

"If anything does go wrong in a scrum it tends to be a freak accident rather than people being silly and there is not a lot you can do about that."