Date: Saturday, 2nd October 2004
Kickoff time: 15:00
Against: Gala
Team: Hawks 1st XV
Location: Away
Competition: Premiership Division 1
Final score: 29 - 24 (won)

Hawks 1st and 2xvs recorded wins on Saturday Hawks beating Gala 29-24 at Nteherdale whilstt the 2xv beat StewartsMelville 2xv 48-5 at Inverleith. SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY REPORTS Forrest heaps woe on Gala GRANT ROBBINS AT NETHERDALE GALA 24 GLASGOW HAWKS 29 YOU need a decent pair of spectacles to be looking on the bright side of life at Gala these days. Sure, the return to form of centre Scott Nichol after several weeks out of the team was one reason to be cheerful. Nichol was included from the start and immediately brought some shape and drive to proceedings, halting several try-scoring openings for the visitors with some bone-crunching hits and engineering a couple of tries for his team mates. Gala also showed plenty of commitment and endeavour but that was about the sum of it for the once-champion side, with just one win this season, and near the bottom of the heap. True, their scrum did manage to mess and meddle with the opposition but there was no real composure on show. The pickings are scant. In truth, the margins are fine. Gala lost only in the 80th minute to a sucker punch of a pushover try, thrillingly finished by Scott Forrest, a first-half replacement for Mark Sitch who left the field with his face a bloody mess. Peter Wright, the Hawks’ coach, later revealed that Sitch required plastic surgery to repair a horribly split lip and added that the club would cite the unidentified Gala player if the video evidence proved conclusive. It was that try, however, that caused all the controversy. "Certainly Hawks’ match-winning try came from a knock forward. The touch judge saw the ball being lost over the line but the referee didn’t call it," said Malcolm Morrison, Gala’s director of rugby. Wright agreed and added: "We were a little fortunate to get something out of that game. At this stage last season, we were also top of the Premiership but we deserved it then. Today the performance was totally unacceptable." The first half was dreadful, stilted and inhibited. Jamie Henderson began and finished Gala’s four tries but it was only in the last quarter of the contest that the home team posed enough questions of the opposition. The two teams were locked at 12 all at the break, Sitch and Colin Shaw replying with tries for Hawks. Ewan Johnstone, the tight-head prop, burrowed over for Gala. The game picked up in the second half, Kenny Sinclair and Greg Brown trading touch downs. On the hour, Neil McKenzie crashed over and when Mike Adamson made a pigs ear of a penalty attempt, Forrest was quickest to react to the loose ball. Gala complained bitterly but came off second best to the sucker punch. Meanwhile Wright, who emerged this week as the front runner to replace Henry Edwards as Edinburgh forwards coach, revealed that he would seriously consider an offer to move into the professional ranks: "I’ve never hidden my desire to coach one of the three professional sides in Scotland. I’m desperate to be involved and want the job at if the SRU gave me the chance, I would strongly state my case." Gala: G Dalgleish; C Dalgleish, S Nichol, S Chapman (G Brown, 32), L Kibble; A McLean, M Miller; M McGimpsey ( M Christie, 43), A Mitchell, E Johnstone; J Szaudro, A Dall (C Weir, 57), J Dalziel, G Bryce, J Henderson. Glasgow Hawks: C Shaw; W Henry, A Maclay, R Munday, S Low (R McKnight, 49); M Adamson, K Sinclair; E Milligan, F Thomson, P Dalton; G Perret, R Maxton (G Mories, 54), S Swindall, N McKenzie, M Sitch (S Forrest, 21). Referee: D Jack No team list has been added yet.

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