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Having not played a game since mid December,
Mansfield Park is never the place any side would choose to
start the New Year. Boroughmuir knew this was always going
to be a difficult fixture and so it proved. When Malcolm
Clapperton and Conor Costigan were sent to the sin bin
within minutes of each other in the second half things
looked bleak for the visitors, but this is a team built on
character and determination and they refused to accept
defeat.
The game started slowly for 'Muir, with
Hawick in the ascendancy in the early minutes and an early
defensive shift was needed to stop the hosts from crossing
the line. As ever, Hawick looked to use their big forwards
on battering runs around the fringes and twice in the early
minutes sizeable hooker Simon Fleetwood was sent on the
charge. The first time Cam Ward drove him backwards and
freed the ball and on his second run he met the immovable
object that is Ben Fisher. The tactic clearly wasn't going
to work.
Slowly 'Muir worked their way into the game
and when scrum-half Calum Cusiter snared Andy Wilson off the
back of a scrum on the quarter hour the flanker was guilty
of not releasing the ball and Elgan O'Donnell was presented
with his first attempt at goal. The centre appeared to lose
his footing as he struck the ball and it drifted harmlessly
wide of the posts. A few minutes later Cusiter had to be
alert again as his opposite number, Kevin Reid chipped into
the 'Muir 22. Cusiter won the foot race and was able to put
in a good clearing kick.
More and more the Greens were starting to
threaten the 'Muir defence with Wilson and Reid the chief
mischief makers but the score sheet remained blank for fully
25 minutes before Hawick got the try their play deserved.
Wilson made the initial drive into the 'Muir 22 and laid the
ball off to blind side Neil McTaggart. When he was brought
down by Ben Fisher he popped the ball up for Michael Graham
to dive over for the score. Craig Neish added the extras to
put the home side 7 points to the good.
The Hawick try had the effect the 'Muir
faithful hoped for and stung the side into action. Soon
after the restart Sean Crombie made a driving break down the
right wing and, crucially when stopped, recycled quickly to
give the backs a platform. This they took with relish as the
ball was moved through the hands before Rory Couper came off
his wing to feed Ben Fisher who found Charlie Keenan looping
wide to go over in the corner. O'Donnell kept his footing
this time to equalise the scores on the half-hour.
The remainder of the half saw 'Muir dominant
and Sean Crombie got close round the front of a line-out
before he was bundled into touch. When Hawick infringed on
their own 5-metre line Calum Cusiter took a quick tap and
went for the line but he lost control of the ball and
knocked-on meaning the scores stayed level at the break.
With the wind behind them in the second
period Hawick had obviously decided to use the boot of
highly-rated stand-off Rory Hutton to gain field position.
Angus Martyn, on the other hand, thought differently,
putting consistent pressure on the youngster, twice charging
kicks down, and giving him a torrid time.
When Rory Couper was adjudged to have entered
a maul form the side ten minutes into the half, Craig Neish
landed the penalty to open up a three point gap. Five
minutes later he took the chance to double the lead when
Malcolm Clapperton was sent to the sin bin for a deliberate
knock-on. Neish didn't spurn the opportunity and Hawick led
13 - 7 with 'Muir having ten minutes to face with only 14
men on the field.
The situation got worse for the visitors
when, three minutes into Clapperton's penalty period Conor
Costigan was spotted using his feet unnecessarily at a ruck
and he too was given a chance to cool down. The Hawick
support were rampant now, expecting their heroes to
roll-over the champions-elect and go for the jugular. Neish
duly landed his third penalty of the day and 'Muir looked
out of the game. Or so Hawick and their support thought.
The seven remaining members of the 'Muir pack
had other ideas and when Graeme McCallum won clean line-out
ball Angus Martyn rampaged into the heart of
the Hawick defence. Quick ball was won and after a neat
interchange between Cusiter and Fisher, Sean Crombie emerged
from the pack to dive over for the score. Hawick looked
shell-shocked as Elgan O'Donnell landed the conversion to
cut the deficit to two points. 'Muir rode out the remainder
of the penalty periods without allowing Hawick a sniff at
their line.
The home side were desperate to stop 'Muir
from claiming the lead and eventually the pressure told when
Danny Landels infringed once too often and it was his turn
to spend time on the sidelines. This was the signal that
'Muir needed to step up the pace and with 5 minutes
remaining they won a penalty inside the Hawick 22 when a
rolling maul was brought down illegally. O'Donnell had no
hesitation in stepping up to slot the ball between the
sticks and give 'Muir the lead for the first time in the
game.
Hawick threw everything they had into the
last few minutes but they were thwarted by 'Muir on several
occasions. Twice Fergus Pringle rose high to snatch critical
line-out ball on Hawick's throw and Stephen Ruddick pinned
them back with some fine tactical kicking. By the time Calum
Cusiter kicked the ball high into the stand to end the game
even the most loyal Hawick supporters knew it was not going
to be.
A dogged performance by 'Muir earning
victory, a draw for Ayr and defeat for Currie sees the
Meggetland men sit 24 points clear at the top of the league
with only 25 points left to play for. Even the most
pessimistic amongst us must recognise that Meggetland on 12
January could be a date with destiny.
Boroughmuir: Stephen Ruddick;
Charlie Keenan, Malcolm Clapperton, Elgan O'Donnell, Rory Couper;
Matt Cannon, Calum Cusiter; Freddie Lait, Sean Crombie,
Cam Ward; Fergus Pringle, Graeme McCallum; Olly Brown, Ben Fisher,
Angus Martyn. Subs Used Conor Costigan, Stuart Waddell. Not
Used: Davie Cunningham, Greg Cottrell, Rob Cairns |
