Glasgow Hawks 28 v Dundee HSFP 5

A scoreline to restore the spirits of the Hawks' supporter. To be fair
some of the play did exactly that. I'd be lying however if I didn't
concede that we were aided and abetted, to a certain extent, by Dundee's
unwillingness to hang on to the ball in contact situations. Nevertheless
it was very satisfying that the Hawks, showing much more tactical
awareness than in previous seasons, were snaffling loose ball and moving
it quickly away from contact to a postion where Murray Strang's boots -
on loan from a local midwife I should think, given the delicacy of their
touch and the strength of delivery - were able to produce an attacking
lineout somewhere in Dundee's half.

It was Strang who first gladdened the heart after only four minutes as
he snaffled an interception on the Dundee 10m, loping away at an angle
for five points, ably goaled from the touchline by Mike Adamson.

MYF and I squared our shoulders. We've been here before and there were
another 76 minutes plus injury time to go yet.

When another six points came from penalties at 5 minute intervals
however we started to feel more positive. The game was being moved into
Dundee's half all the time and they kept losing ball. Could this be the
turnaround?

At the end of the first quarter it looked certain that fruit would be
borne from a team effort. Dundee's Chris Cummings picked up a yellow and
series of forward rumbles diplaying some surprisingly fast hands took us
to 5 metres before the turnover and clearance. Damn!

However only minutes later, eventual, and deserved, man of the match,
Mike Adamson took the ball from his own half, supported by Stuart Lowe
(that's Low - ed) and gained a lineout 10 metres out. Greg Francis was
able to take the ball and crash over for the five points.

Now at this point I have to express surprise because the Hawks' lineout
is becoming so bad that the only way we'll win one is by selling tickets
and having a lineout raffle. Make a start by trying the short ball lads.
It can't hurt.

By this time it was all going Hawks' way. It was left to Nick Cox to
score again however on the official half time mark.

What can I say about this one?

Well, he took the ball 10 metres out and showing an amazing degree of
ambition for one with such a low centre of gravity DIVED over the line
scoring five points beside the posts and another six on the Richter
Scale. Adamson goaled the former to make the half time score 25 : 0 to
the Hawks.

The second half was far more balanced. Dundee, despite a continuing
willingness to spill ball shook themselves and started to play with more
verve. Hawks responded by stepping off the gas. The second half was
won, therefore by Dundee with a try to a penalty kick, leaving the final
score 28 : 5.

The impressions that stay with me from the second half are firstly that
Hawks have retained their quality defensive skills. Secondly, watching
Nick Cox 'swimming' though a maul and invariably nabbing the ball
carrier is a very impressive sight indeed. Finally I'd like to express
my grateful thanks to Kenny Sinclair for giving me one of those moments
I live for. He took the ball from a breakdown just inside his own half,
accelerated almost to warp speed between the lift doors of two closing
defenders then chipped ahead almost taking the ball on the try line. The
beauty of the movement deserved the try. There were tears in MYF's eyes.

So there we have it. A confidence boosting win, with a more coherent
effort. Fewer backs and more forwards appeared to be drawn into the
breakdowns this week, though, to my purist's eyes I still find myself
blinking in surprise at the sight of a front row lining up to the touch
line. The backs and forwards worked turnover ball into space well and
showed more tactical awareness overall.

The lineout lads, the lineout, you have to win your own ball.

Back to Jonathan Davies in the studio for a series of arrows, circles
and 'look you's'.

regards

The Green Phantom

This article was posted on 24-Sep-2006, 20:43 by Hugh Barrow.