Date: Saturday, 11th January 2014
Kickoff time: 15:00
Against: GHA
Team: Hawks 1st XV
Location: Home
Competition: West Regional Cup
Final score: 33 - 14 (won)

Glasgow Hawks​33 GHA​14 “What if I'm far from home? Oh brother I will hear you call. What if I'd lose it all? Oh sister, I will help you out. Ooooooh, if the sky comes falling down. For you. There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do.” (“Oh brother” by Avicii) We often talk of the rugby family. The group if disparate souls who bond together over this game we all love. The players, male and female, the older generation working in the background, the girlfriends, boyfriends as well, who cheer and aid. This family comes together to give voice to our common hopes and dreams to share joy and despair. There is also the literal family, the mums and dads who drive their children to morning matches, standing and cheering in the joyous cold of a Scottish Winter, altogether becoming our rugby family. All these elements were present yesterday, a day both sad and happy. A day where thoughts turned to the ties that bind us. As Old Anniesland played host to City rivals GHA in the West Regional Cup, the ground was busy with members of Glasgow’s Rugby family. As the kick off approached, there was a minutes silence to contemplate the loss of a young family member, Sonny Kiernan. Thoughts turned to the indescribable loss which his parents and sister were experiencing. Remembering that families suffer sadness and attempting to reach out to them in their grief. Looking down the lines of the players, Ally Maclay, stood in silence alongside his family of players and Hawks welcomed him back after his convalescence. In the stand his father prepared warm drinks for the attendees, rugby is a family affair. In GHA there were former Hawks, notably Andy Henderson, who had played at Old Anniesland before he played for Glasgow Warriors and was a stalwart of the Scotland team in the previous decade. Again in the Jimmy Ireland Stand, Andy’s children played happily as the game kicked off and the players put these bonds to the test, as they do every other Saturday. GHA started the match in very good part and hawks looked nervous, with players in both sides having played each other since childhood, there was no fear of the team from the higher division. Indeed, in the way of Scots, there was an air of “I Ken yer faither”. There is a world of experience in the GHA side which revealed itself in the early exchanges former Warrior’s fans favourite Hefin O’Hare was lively out wide and the aforementioned Henderson had authority in the midfield. Hawks did have pressure but in the first quarter of an hour lacked composure in the red zone. Early errors allowed GHA to clear any threat and when Hawks were under pressure in their own half they conceded a couple of penalties which Scott Lang slotted over in the 6th and 12th minutes to take an early lead. (0-6) Hawks’ pack has been receiving plaudits from a variety of sources but it had an unfamiliar look. Angus Hamilton and Ross Miller are in Australia, for different reasons and Mateusz Bartoszek watched from the stand as he remains injury. However, any concerns that the pack would be hamstrung by this were disabused as the front 8 took the game to GHA overpowering the visitors, just before the half hour the pack drove into their opponents 22 battering on toward the line. GHA seemed to be holding on when Polish International prop Craig Bachurzewski, came in at pace going over for the try. Unfortunately the conversion was missed but Hawks were in business. (5-6) Bachurzewski, who had an excellent match, was instrumental in Hawks going into the leadfive minutes later as he burst through the visitors defence from 15 metres out and was unlucky to be hauled down short of the line. The ball was recycled quickly and Dan Smart put the ball out left where David Milne was on hand to grab five more points. (10-6) Grabbing the lead, Hawks were now dominant and GHA seemed to have no answer to the questions which were being asked of the defence. It now fell to scrum-half dan Smart to add to the visitor’s pain. The young New Zealander, jinked past and overwhelmed Niall Cassie to go under the posts for another try which he then converted himself. (17-6) As half-time came, GHA could only rue a 10 minute spell in which they conceded 17 points. But, they weren’t behind not beaten. They came out for the second period determined to take the match to Hawks. Putting the premier side under pressure from the kick-off they were rewarded in 45 minutes when Dominic Dunn went over for a try following a well worked move. The family theme re-stated as Dunn’s family have been mainstay of Aloysian Rugby and now GHA for many years. With Lang missing the conversion the visiting side were within a single goal. (17-11) Andy White now took over the kicking duties and an exchange of penalties between him and Lang just after the 50 minute mark kept the difference at six points (20-14) Hawks now started to use the pack to grind down GHA. What ball the visitors had was often deep in their own territory. Runs made were enveloped by the home cover who forced penalties from GHA which White slotted over with ease and ending the match as a contest. With 10 minutes of the match remaining Hawks were 12 points to the good. (26-14) The match was drawing to a close in the winter gloom and Hawks were just in GHA’s 22, Smart put a kick over the heads of the defence. In desperation Lang tried to run the ball out of defence in one last futile attack. He didn’t allow for the pace and strength of Jack Steele who launched a tremendous tackle into the full- back. The impact forced Lang into to his own in-goal area and as he fell he failed to ground the ball. The pill was dislodged and Robert Beattie who was up supporting Steele was sharp enough to stretch a red sleeved arm toward the ball touching down for the 4th try. As White put over the conversion the final whistle blew and the Cup was won. Another familial tie. (33-14) The cup won, the family were together in joy just as a few hours earlier they had been together in sadness. “Brother I will hear your call, Sister I will help you out.” Glasgow Hawks​33 GHA​14 Hawks​33 Tries​Bachurzewski 27, Milne 32, Smart 38, R Beattie 80 Con​Smart 38, White 80 Pen​White 47, 54, 78 GHA​14 Tries​Dunn 45​ Pen​Lang (6, 12, 52, The first Hawks match of 2014 saw The West Cup Final come to Old Anniesland with southside rivals GHA as the opponents. The mood in the ground was tempered with thoughts of Sonny Kiernan and his family. Sonny had been a popular player in the Hawks youth set up had sadly passed away last week at a tragically young age. There was a minutes silence in his memory and the thoughts of all in the ground were with his parents and his sister. Hawks began the game in hesitant fashion with early drives at the line ending with unforced errors which allowed GHA to clear their lines. The men from the soo’side were eager to lap these errors up and force Hawks onto the back foot. Hawks response to GHA pressure was to concede couple of penalties early in the first period which Scott Lang goaled with ease in the 6th and 12th minutes respectively. Early penalty awards to Hawks offered let respite as Hawks lacked a recognised place kicker and were frustrated when offered what would have normally been goal scoring opportunities’. Hawks stuck to their task and took the visitors on in the tight play. The pack gaining ground the hard way but time and again GHA’s defenders were able to halt the forward effort as the game moved toward the half hour mark. Hawks were close, but the reward seemed distant until Polish International prop Craig Bachurzewski burst on to the ball from short distance. Dan Smart was unlucky with the conversion but Hawks were back in the match. Within 5 minutes Hawks burst into the lead. Bachurzewski, who was on fire, burst through the GHA cover only to be caught just short of the line. The ball was quickly recycled allowing David Milne to go over for the second try of the afternoon. Hawks now scented blood and applied further pressure, Dan Smart went over under the posts and in the space of a little more than 10 minutes Hawks had scored 17 points and had an 11 point lead going into half-time. If Hawks thought that the match was over as a contest they were to be rudely awakened, GHA started taking the game to the home side from the kick off and brought the scores close after 45 minutes when Dominic Dunn went over after a well worked move which had blown the home defence wide open. Lag was unfortunate to miss the conversion but GHA were back in the game and Hawks looked nervous. Andy White took over the kicking duties and restored part of the lead in 47 minutes with a good penalty. But Lang pegged it back for GHA five minutes later. Hawks then started to wear the Southside men and White’s accuracy with the boot saw Hawks edge a further 6 points ahead as the clock headed towards 80 minutes. Then something strange happened as Smart put the ball over the heads of the midfield and the ball bobbled toward the visitor’s goal line. Lang gathered and tried to initiate a counter attack but he was met with a furious tackle by Jack Steele. Steele knocked the GHA full-back into the goal line and as Lang hit the sod he failed to touch the ball down and was dislodged. Robert Beattie was close at hand to pounce on the error and with White adding the extras the Cup win was secured in emphatic fashion. All that was left to do was for Andy Linton to receive the cup and the first silverware of 2013-14 was secured. Team list for this match Ally Maclay Andrew Kirkland Andrew Linton Andy Redmayne Andy White Brendan Cullihane Callum Kerr David Milne Haddon Mcpherson Jack Macfarlane Jack Steele Kenneth Beattie Mateusz Bartoszek Robert Beattie Stephen Leckey Steven Findlay Zander Fagerson

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