Lennox Herald reports
Helensburgh Rugby Club coach looks forward to National Bowl Final at Murrayfield
Apr 20 2012 by Andy Galloway, Lennox Herald (main ed)
BILL MacDonald is used to dishing out homework.
But the Helensburgh school teacher has recently undertaken a workload that none of his pupils could identify with.
And the ultimate exam comes this Saturday – at the home of Scottish rugby.
For the first time in their near 50-year history, Helensburgh Rugby Club are heading to Murrayfield for the final of the National Bowl.
Only Dunbar, the unbeaten champions of East Division Two, stand between the Grizzlies and a historic treble.
Having won the West Division Two and the Regional Bowl, Burgh stand on the edge of greatness on Saturday.
And coach Bill, who is principal teacher of the PE and drama faculty at Hermitage Academy, hopes he’s done his homework.
He said: “We beat Lenzie in the Regional Bowl Final, but getting to Murrayfield was going to be tricky depending on who we got.
“The competition is for the best four teams in the regional leagues so we knew it would be tough whoever we got. I went to watch Grangemouth play and in the end we managed to beat them quite successfully on their own ground.
“I have since seen Dunbar in action – as they have done with us – and they are a very good side; a big, physical outfit.
“It will be an even match on Saturday as they like to get the ball out to the wide areas and so do we.
“The Murrayfield pitch will be a leveller, as it is a huge surface and the players will get very tired as a result.
“We will have 22 players in our squad and will certainly need to use all of them.
“We’ll be looking to match Dunbar in the back area and hopefully get the better of them upfront, but it’s down to how we play on the day.
“Another part of the workload on the day will be trying to keep the players calm. Amateur players don’t often get the chance to play at the home of their heroes.”
Bill can’t wait to see his men run out onto the hallowed turf and added: “We are absolutely delighted we’ve got there.
“We’ve had a good season, with two trophies already, and it will be a big day for the club and the town. It’s the first time the club has every been to Murrayfield and we’ve had banners and posters up around the town for people to show their support.”
But as an experienced coach, going to Murrayfield holds no fears for Bill.
The 57-year-old will be coaching at the national stadium for the third time – and Saturday’s match is the decider for him.
He said: “This is my first season as coach at Helensburgh, but I’ve coached quite a lot of different teams.
“I coached Glasgow Hawks when they won the Scottish Cup at Murrayfield and I’ve also been with Hillhead, Glasgow High Kelvinside, Glasgow Accies and Allan Glens.
“I’ve also lost at Murrayfield as coach so Saturday will be the third occasion I’ve been there and hopefully my second victory.
“The pressure is starting to mount already but it’s been a big effort by the players and coaches to get this far.
“I started the season with the club but took over as coach halfway through and managed to carry things on and deliver silverware.
“There were a few tough points but once we got our act together we did very well and we knew that we could beat the teams in our own league. Our sights were set on winning the league at the start of the season. Since then the players have grown week by week and we’ve achieved that.”
It’s not too late to book your ticket to see Burgh in action at the home of Scottish rugby.

This article was posted on 19-Apr-2012, 07:48 by Hugh Barrow.