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A
Glasgow Hawks supporter might be forgiven for cursing the
conversion after today’s encounter, it being the second game
this season in which they have lost to Boroughmuir after
failing to add the extra two points onto their final try and
tie the scores. Matches between these two are often tightly
fought affairs, and so it was again, not until the final
whistle was the destination of the points clear.
From
Boroughmuir’s point of view, there will be a certain level
of annoyance that the five point haul went begging – at
least two further tries should have been added to the third
that they claimed – but with Melrose falling to defeat at
Raeburn Place, there can be much solace found in a nineteen
point lead at the top of the Scottish Hydro Electric
Premiership.
Conditions were far from perfect for the running rugby that
both sides prefer to play; a stiff wind whipping across the
pitch and a fine rain falling throughout produced an
inevitably high error count, but neither side was willing to
give up their intention to play a flowing game.
Boroughmuir had the better of possession in the opening
exchanges of the match, but they didn’t look remotely like
making it count at that stage. Indeed Hawks were first on
the scoreboard, full back Ruaridh Jackson slotting a penalty
between the posts from forty metres out in the second
minute.
With
Malcolm Clapperton missing in the centre of the field after
picking up a nasty cut in the clash with Edinburgh Accies,
there was perhaps more pressure on the shoulders of fly-half
Matt Cannon. The former London Irish player and England
Sevens international has been in sparkling form for much of
the season, and a scything break down the blindside which
ended with Freddie Lait tackled into touch ten metres short
of the line showed just how important he has become.
The
one thing Cannon hadn’t done since joining in the summer,
however, was cross the line himself. That was perhaps a
surprising fact given that the side has scored so freely at
times this season, but it was put right in the sixteenth
minute of this encounter. From a lineout just outside the
Hawks twenty-two, which was driven relentlessly forward by
the Boroughmuir pack, Cannon took a ball from Ben Fisher and
darted outside Ally Maclay to score. Elgan O’Donnell’s
attempted at the conversion was pulled across the face of
the posts.
The
lead didn’t last long, it was roughly four minutes later
that former Scotland winger Rory Kerr dived over for a score
in the corner. The crucial turnover of possession came on
halfway when Ally Maclay charged down Calum Cusiter’s
attempted box kick and Kenny Sinclair booted for the corner.
Hawks won the lineout and a superb chip in behind the
defence from Jackson allowed Kerr to beat Rory Couper in the
dive. Jackson added the conversion to stretch Hawks’
advantage to five points.
Some
fastidious refereeing was at times spoiling the flow of the
match, but ’Muir had only themselves to blame that they
didn’t lead at the halfway stage. When Cannon broke superbly
on the halfway and Sean Crombie was in support to keep the
move going, it seemed that a try was certain, but Kerr’s
cover defence was superb as he bundled Couper into touch
just short of the line.
Jackson missed an attempt to put Hawks further ahead when he
dragged his penalty to the right, and then ’Muir contrived
to miss an even better chance for their second try. After
good work by Olly Brown and Cam Ward to create the gap, Tom
Bury burst down the right wing. With Jackson covering across
from full back, Bury went for the pass inside to Cusiter,
but with the tryline begging, the scrum half couldn’t hold
on to a pass just behind him.
There was slight cause for Boroughmuir cheer before the
break though, as lock forward Ally Dale was sent to the sin
bin for cynically killing the ball at the breakdown and
O’Donnell added himself to the scoresheet by striking the
resultant penalty between the uprights.
There were no doubt stern words for Boroughmuir at the
break, and with Hawks having to begin the second half with
only fourteen men, the hosts came out determined to take
advantage. It took all of three minutes for them to do so.
After Ben Fisher had been denied a try – the ball judged
held up over the line though the number eight was convinced
he had grounded it – Angus Martyn popped up from the
following scrum and was put over by Fisher. O’Donnell added
the extra two and ’Muir had a five point lead.
Cannon almost put Tom Bury in for the side’s third try with
a perfectly weighted cross-field kick, but the ball just
dropped forward off the ’Muir winger’s hand before he was
able to pick up and race clear for the line. Hawks edged
closer when Jackson sent over his second penalty of the day
and Cam Ward was yellow carded for persistent infringement,
but a try of startling quality sent Boroughmuir seven points
clear.
During Ward’s ten minutes off the field, Hawks threw
everything they had at the Boroughmuir line. A forward pack
marshalled well by veteran Mark Sitch attempted to bludgeon
its way over, and they had just as little luck when trying
to move the ball wide. For the third week running, ’Muir
defended their line superbly when it mattered most.
As
Ward’s penalty time expired, Boroughmuir showed just how
lethal they can be when they get their execution right.
Graeme McCallum leapt high to claim a lineout on the right
and Olly Brown fed Cannon. The fly-half popped a short ball
to Andy Hadden, who in turn found the express train of
Stephen Ruddick coming into the line. Ruddick burst clear of
the Hawks defence, leaving only Jackson as cover, and the
’Muir full back drew his opposite number and slipped a pass
to the supporting Martyn who dived over for his second
score.
Had
O’Donnell’s conversion been successful it would perhaps have
added breathing space to the lead, and Hawks’ reply came
very quickly, but in the end it proved not to be enough. Ian
Noble flighted a looping pass as Hawks came to the right and
tempted Couper to come for the interception. He couldn’t
quite reach it though, and Hawks were in behind, Kerr
finishing off the move, touching down fifteen metres
infield. Most would have backed Jackson to add the
conversion and tie the scores, but an excellent charge put
too much pressure on him and he pushed his kick well right
of the sticks.
The
remaining ten minutes were going to be tense, but it was
’Muir who looked the more likely to score, most notably when
Couper’s chip ahead just reached the dead ball line before
Martyn could touch it down, and when the final whistle
sounded the two point gap had stayed intact.
With
ten games now remaining in the season and Boroughmuir’s
record winning run extended to thirteen games (including one
last season), there are fewer and fewer opportunities for
the side to slip up in their relentless chase for the title.
All their focus, however, must be on next week’s game
against a more than capable Dundee side who will be fighting
for their top flight lives and who proved twice last season
that they can cause the Meggetland side a good few problems.
Boroughmuir: Stephen Ruddick;
Tom Bury, Elgan O'Donnell, Andy Hadden, 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, Euan Matheson.
Greg Cottrell - Not Used: Andy McLean, James White |
