Date: Saturday, 15th January 2005
Kickoff time: 15:00
Against: Gala
Team: Hawks 1st XV
Location: Home
Competition: Premiership Division 1
Final score: 59 - 0 (won)

Hawks scored a 59-0 win over Gala to go top of the table on points difference The 2xv went down 8-20 to a well organised Boroughmuir Match reports to follow Associate Clubs Glasgow Accies and GHK both won beating Trinity and Dumfries respectively. Match report from Alex Gordon of the Sunday Herald; Glasgow Hawks 59-0 Gala Alex Gordon at Old Anniesland AFTER a week of turmoil off the park for Scottish rugby, talk of votes of confidence, restructure, blazeratti, and betrayal, we finally got to watch what it’s all about, a game of rugby. That is when the most important people in the sport, the players, get to have their say. Truthfully, Gala did not really have too much to say. Outplayed in every area of the game, they looked like a side who have accepted relegation. Hawks, on the other hand, looked every inch the champion club of Scotland. From the front row, which welcomed back veteran Chris Docherty, to full back Colin Shaw, there is flair, imagination, ability and a barrel full of confidence. Whilst Gala seemed to start in bright fashion, it did not take long for Hawks to put them in their place. Steven Duffy’s kick forced Gala’s David Gray to concede a scrum as he carried the ball over his own line. The scrum had Mark Sitch pick up and pass to Kenny Sinclair who was easily over for the opener. With Murray Strang converting, Hawks were seven up in three minutes. Hawks’ standoff Strang scored the second when he burst through before being confronted by Scott Nichol. Feigning to the right, he darted to the left and over, unfortunately not converting his own try. Hawks pulled further ahead with another try from the base of the scrum. This time Sitch scored himself with a number eight pick-up. Hawks’ bonus point came in 25 minutes as Steve Gordon went in under the posts followed by another Strang conversion. Gala’s cause, already lost, was not helped as they lost two members of their pack in quick succession after half an hour. First veteran prop George Graham was replaced by teenager Martin Christie. This was followed by Malcolm Horsburgh, looking extremely dazed, being replaced by John Anderson. The delay for the injuries did not affect Hawks as they scored their fifth try in 35 minutes. The ball was played wide to the left and found lock Steve Begley w ho scored and Strang again converted. The half-time whistle came as a surprise four minutes early and ignoring the injuries, it seemed that referee Andy Hepburn was trying to ease Gala’s pain. The second half started slowly and it was 15 minutes before Neil MacKenzie scored try number six. Peter Dalton then scored number seven, again under the posts. Gordon’s second in 67, which went unconverted, was followed by a well deserved Duffy effort in 72. Hawks have yet to concede a point in 2005. From first minute to last, every player was determined to maintain a clean sheet. As they reach the top of the table, who would bet against them defending their title? Result: Glasgow Hawks 59 Gala 0 In the opening couple of minutes it looked like being a good game with Willie Collins legally dispatching Sitch into the boardings in their first meeting, from which he was slow to get up. Unfortunately this was about the only slow action from them for the rest of the day with players always in support and running at speed and angles when taking a pass. We then lost the first of many lineouts and poor tackling allowed them their first break, the try only averted when we were forced to kick dead and concede the 5m scrum from which Sitch picked up and a simple pass to Sinclair saw the first points of the day. Converted by Strang. 7-0. 5th minute and a try saving tackle by Mike Christie 5m from our line prevented a quick doubling of the score and a penalty to Gala after Hawks held on saw us move back to pressure them after a couple of phases. However more poor tackling following an unpenalised deliberate block on Andy McLean in front of the ref gave Strang a run down the wing for their second try. Conversion missed, 12-0. 5 minutes later and another lost lineout on Hawks’ 10m line saw them break and chip ahead following which Scott Nichol was deemed to carry the ball over despite clearly waiting for it to roll over before touching down. The 5m scrum gave them a penalty for improper binding which saw another scrum and Sitch was virtually unopposed when he picked and went over for the 3rd try, converted, 19-0. After the opening 20 minutes saw us with a good amount of possession and yet had 3 tries against us due to our lack of tackling, Willie was stopped 2m short of their line but the poor (panicked?) passing from there saw us move backwards to their 10m line instead of putting points on the board. Then with another return to our tackling inability that plagued the first half of the season and good interplay by Hawks backline Gordon went in under the posts for the bonus point after only 25 minutes. 26-0 after the conversion. Martin Christie was then brought on for George Graham & what an introduction to senior rugby for the local youngster, who did not disgrace himself with his performance. The 5th try was temporarily delayed when the ref gave us a penalty for a double movement, but a good line run by Hendry 3 minutes later took them into our 22 again and after the ref played advantage from us pulling down a maul Begley went over. Conversion was good, 33-0. Bizarrely the ref then called half time after only 36 minutes excluding injury and stoppage time. This needless to say infuriated the Hawks and Peter Wright may find a letter from the SRU over his comments about it, assuming there is anyone there to write it. Despite a dressing down by George Graham at ½ time it was a barely improved second half performance which saw us for once getting some of the ref’s decisions going our way (e.g. Scott Nichol avoiding a clear carding for taking out Shaw during an airborne mark, and not even a penalty awarded). It took 15 minutes before they started the scoreboard moving again when once again some school grade type tackling allowed another break and McKenzie went in for their 6th which was converted to make it a round 40-0. David Gray’s first real break of the game came in the 20th minute of the second half but we were denied points when Scott Nichol was tackled through the corner flag, but this seemed to inspire the rest of our backs, albeit for only a little while, and was quickly followed by Willie making another break and a chip ahead saw him only just beaten to the touchdown. 2 minutes later and poor chasing back by Graeme Bryce came close to conceding another, but instead gave them a 5m scrum when we carried over to prevent the score after failing to secure it cleanly. A series of scrums eventually gave them another when Dalton went over, converted, 47-0. Their 8th also came from a scrum which, after a simple wheel and pick-up, saw Gordon go in for his 2nd after an almost clear run to the line. Conversion missed this time. 52-0. Despite Hawks seeming to have eased off in this half they managed another try after good driving work and a sweetly timed pass saw Duffy go over. Strang converted this one to make it 59-0. Our final flourish after Andy McLean intercepted on their 10m line fizzled out when only Scott Nichol was in support and he was well covered to keep us score-less. This game clearly showed the difference between the top and bottom of Prem1, the major difference, admittedly from the sideline, being that everything they did was at a good pace and there always being at least one in support at all times, oh and of course the tackling. No team list has been added yet.

Archive footage from Gala 1997-98

Click here to go back to the previous page