Not only will County travel on the back of successive wins which have lifted them out of bottom spot but it is likely their side will include John Houston.
Houston is an Edinburgh professional allocated to Stirling under the draft system and is ex
pected to turn out as he continues his comeback from injury.
To complicate matters, Houston also helps coach Heriot's and knows most of the codes for moves.
However Burnett, outstanding in Saturday's 20-18 win over Watsonians which came down to the last kick – a missed touchline conversion – at the weekend said: "John is a good professional who'll be looking to help Stirling but I don't think that will extend to giving them our codes."
What Burnett, whose contributions to the latest Heriot's success included some fine covering plus a fierce surge that ended with him flat out on the turf, a victim of a high tackle, is certain of is that Heriot's cannot look too far ahead.
The visit to the only team above them in the table, Ayr, on December 13 may have all the hallmarks of a must-win game but Burnett suggested: "It would be dangerous to ignore the fact that Stirling are on the up and we play them first."
In warning against any complacency the hooker, one of the few current Heriot's players who knows what it takes to win a title having accomplished the feat with Currie a couple of years ago, says the margins were wafer thin against a 'Sonian side whose coach, Bruce Aitchison, rightly took heart from the conviction of the pack and the elusiveness of winger Tupu Saena in particular.
Added Burnett: "It was such a relief when Mike Ker's conversion attempt missed.
"We were standing with heads down knowing how much a missed tackle in the lead up to that late try might have cost us.
"It is possible we'll eventually look back on the importance of this win and the near miss by Mike but there's such a long, long way to go.
"Meantime we'll just take satisfaction from grinding out a win when not at our best while recognising the role played by a very competent Watsonian team in making life difficult for us."
In his first season at Heriot's the 22-year-old Burnett is credited by coach Bob McKillop with transforming the club's line-out along with ace jumper Ian Nimmo, another summer recruit.
For Burnett, though, it is all about using the expansive nature of Heriot's play to try to claim another title and also a recall to the Scottish clubs' international team.
"The reason I moved from Currie was that I wanted to try the Heriot's approach and things have gone well, helped by the fact I'm one of five former Dundee High players in the ranks
"There's an understanding and team ethic that is second to none and while I'm keen to repeat my Scottish clubs' selection before the hooker berths were filled by two (SRU) academy lads it's one step at a time – both for me and Heriot's' bid to overtake Ayr."
Coach McKillop hints that his side would do themselves no harm by following final year Edinburgh University Sports Science student Burnett's lead.
"If there is a better hooker in Scottish club rugby at the moment than Scott I haven't seen him," said McKillop. "He covers acres of ground in a match."
McKillop admitted it hadn't been a flawless performance from Heriot's but insisted: "Even playing as badly as we have done for six weeks we still did enough to win.
"Two years ago we lost to Watsonians at their place by the last kick so things even out."
In fact, to say Heriot's got out of jail is probably an understatement as a straightforward penalty by Ben Di Rollo – which would have rendered irrelevant the conversion attempt of Paul Minto's late, late try – cannoned back off a post.
It was a rare slip by stand off Di Rollo who had earlier slotted a slick left-footed drop goal and generally presided over a back-line in which full back Scott Kennedy and winger Saena both shone.
In addition Ian Dryburgh marked his return from a brief spell in which rowing was his sporting pre-occupation with a stirring display at No.8.
Ultimately it was all to no avail on a day when 'Sonian skipper Torrie Callander picked up his fourth yellow card of the campaign, for a technical offence, from English exchange referee Darren Gamage who had an assured match. Said Aitchison: "I thought we were superb in the second half and were just the bounce of the ball or the wave of the ref's arm away from what would have been a deserved win.
"In the time Torrie was off we raised our game and so dominant was our scrum that a late arriving spectator would never have been aware we were short handed. We finished strongly and played with a lot more passion.
"I read quotes in the Evening News this week from Sir Bill Gammell (former Scotland winger and now a leading businessman) in which he said attitude is the only thing you can control.
"I would echo that and our boys' attitude was so much better than when we lost to Stirling the previous week."
If Kennedy showed commendable competitiveness and willingness to run while rightly prioritising his defence then the star of the 'Sonian back line had to be Samoan Saena whose try to cancel out an earlier effort by Marc Teague was his fifth of the season.
Added Aitchison: "Heriot's had a pretty ruthless back three (two Edinburgh professionals and the division's top try-scorer) but Tupu was the pick of that department.
"I'm delighted that he is looking to extend his visitor's permit despite his Poneke club in Wellington letting me know they want him back – and quickly!"
Next test for 'Sonians is a home clash with leaders Ayr when Herioters will, for once, be hoping those Capital arch-rivals can do them a favour and reduce a lead that currently stands at eight points.
Marc Teague's try to open the scoring came from a pass by Jamie Syme after nine minutes and two Graham Wilson penalties took his points tally for the season to 114.
A Di Rollo penalty got 'Sonians up and running but there was nothing to suggest a visiting revival especially with a Wilson penalty helping Heriot's turn at 14-3.
A penalty exchange meant 17-6 when Kyle Traynor and Dougie Brown sent in Saena leaving Heriot's ultimately grateful for Wilson's fourth penalty as insurance against the Minto try created by stretching Heriot's out wide.
A draw would indeed have been fair but Heriot's have more to play for in title terms and maybe that hunger saw them through in a splendid advert for the much-maligned refereeing fraternity, Premiership rugby and two committed and long standing rivals.
Scorers:
Heriot's: Tries: Teague. Pens: Wilson (5).
Watsonians: Tries: Saena, Minto. Con: Di Rollo. Pens: Di Rollo. Drop goal: Di Rollo.
Teams:
Heriot's: J Thompson, M Teague, G Thomson, R Mill, C Goudie, G Rutherford, G Wilson, A Dymock, S Burnett, W Blacklock, T McVie (captain), I Nimmo, J Parker, J Syme, J Stevens. Subs: F Gillies, K Blyth, G Anderson, B Walls, S Bell.
Watsonians: S Kennedy, P Minto, D Brown, J Blackwood, T Saena, B Di Rollo, E Howe, A Fisher, F Brown, K Traynor, T Callander (captain), A Tweed, J Pelter, I Dryburgh, I Condell. Subs: T Hawes, N Hart, J Nicolson, M Ker, J Johnstone.
