Wilson steers Hawks on the right road to title hat-trick
WILLIAM PAUL AT MEGGETLAND

Boroughmuir 19
Glasgow Hawks 24
GLASGOW Hawks took the BT Premiership trophy west for the third successive year after a late try-scoring surge did for plucky Boroughmuir and finally put them beyond reach of all other challengers.

It was hard work for the players on the pitch and sweet reward for coach David Wilson off it. He left relegated GHA at the end of last season to try and repeat the success of Peter Wright, now in charge of Scotland under-19s.

"Of course I was under pressure following in the footsteps of Peter Wright," he said. "But I am a firm believer in the fact that I am only as good as the players I have got and the players must take the credit for leading the way in the championship. They are a very special group.

"It was backs-to-the-wall stuff out there but I think it showed the character of the team again."

Hawks might have been the better team on the day, but Boroughmuir, spurred on by the threat of relegation, were the hungrier side for 70 of the 80 minutes on a seriously muddy pitch which had seagulls swooping behind scrums to pluck juicy worms from the newly churned earth.

Hawks went ahead with a try in the first ten minutes but it was Boroughmuir who were enjoying the bulk of possession and skipper Rory Couper capitalised by scoring at the other end.

Boroughmuir then lost full back Ross Cook to the sin bin for a high tackle, but responded by grabbing their second try as Couper went flying up the wing to pass inside for scrum-half Calum Cusiter to go under the posts. Right on half-time a high and hopeful kick on the swirling wind had Hawks in a fluster and veteran centre Malcolm Clapperton took advantage to snap up the loose ball and give the home side a 12-point lead.

The play was fast and frantic with both teams intent on running the ball at every opportunity. Hawks besieged the Boroughmuir line for fully ten minutes and finally scored through winger Stuart Smith after lock Graeme McCallum was yellow-carded for one indiscretion too many at the ruck.

Even so Boroughmuir looked in control until the last ten minutes when Ally Maclay got through the defensive line for his side's third try. The conversion drifted wide, leaving Boroughmuir in front, but Hawks had the scent of victory by now and there was no stopping winger Ricky Munday crashing over.

In the last few minutes Boroughmuir flung themselves at Hawks. But the champions were not to be denied and Boroughmuir could only come away with pride in defeat and what might yet prove an invaluable losing bonus point.

Coach Grant Wilson said: "If we can carry that level of performance into our two remaining games we can win them and ensure survival."

Scorers. Boroughmuir: Tries: Couper, Cusiter, Clapperton. Cons: O'Reilly, Cook. Glasgow Hawks: Tries: Dalton, Smith, Maclay, Munday. Cons: Adamson, Monaghan.

Boroughmuir: R Cook; C Kennan, M Clapperton, S Ruddick, R Couper; T O'Reilly, C Cusiter; F Lait, J Cox, D Wright, E Matheson, G McCallum, P Knight, A Martyn, B Fisher. Subs used: K Traynor, R Mathieson, S Waddell, G Cotterill.

Glasgow Hawks: M Adamson; S Smith, A Maclay, S Duffy, R Munday; M Strang, I Monaghan; E Milligan, S Fell, P Dalton, R Maxton, S Warnock, G Francis, N McKenzie, M Sitch. Subs used: S Forrest, S Begley, G Mories, S Low.

Referee: T Coutts (Watsonians).

This article was posted on 27-Feb-2006, 08:35 by Hugh Barrow.