Heriot's 33- 12 Glasgow Hawks

A tough week trying to get a full squad out made harder by various last minute injuries and illnesses. So an  intrepid 15 arrived at Goldenacre prepared to tough it out. Opposite ends of career spectrum represented by 18yr old Cameron Howard making his debut in 2nd row to the team's own "Peter Pan"  Coach Little playing at 9.  Great start with quick ruck ball and good attacking lines  put Heriots under pressure. Quick pen taken and moved wide for Mark Taylor to scorch over in corner. Hawks continued to make all running , game at a cracking pace.  Vulnerability of only having 15 exposed in 5min spell when Brecko and Ross Kennedy both injured  and Heriots scored under posts after missed tackle.  5-7 and 13men after 20mins!!  Disbelief of sudden change in fortunes gradually  became an incredibly heroic  next 60mins.
Heriot's took advantage of numbers by scoring a great  line-out drive try and  after sustained pressure got ball wide where Hawks had run out of defenders!  5-19 HT.
2ND half  saw Hawks up to 14 ,  the whole coaching team now on the playing side of the touch-line!  With the prospect of a tough 40mins ahead. Work rate, great defence and counter- attacking , sheer bloodymindedness and magic team spirit ensued! Half  only lost 2 tries to 1.  
With the 7 man scrum somehow dominating Hawks took the game to a rattled Heriot's .  Callum Taylor scored try of the day with a great breenge off  base of scrum after driving Heriot's off own put-in!!  Amazing what adversity does for team spirit and only scores conceded were 1 on 1 missed tackles as Hawks ran themselves to a stand-still.  Score could have been closer but for couple of crucial turn-overs and great line-out drive stopped inches short.
Comfortable defeat on scoreboard doesn't tell whole story. Quality line-out work by Louis , incredible work rate by back row duo of Whippy and CT and willingness of back line to attack at every opportunity  made it much tougher for Heriot's than they could have  expected .
A defeat but real character shown and most importantly  fixture was fulfilled despite the huge problems finding 15 fit players.

This article was posted on 6-Mar-2012, 07:40 by Hugh Barrow.