Mighty 2's versus Stirling County 3/2/07


"Winning is a great deodorant" – John Madden (NFL coach and broadcaster and yes, the man behind the Playstation game!)



Two games in two weeks – a rarity this season, certainly since November! This game away at Stirling though has been a long time coming – actually since last season's encounter up there. I made no excuses for reminding players of that game throughout the week, last seasons game was the worst Mighty 2's performance of that campaign. We didn't just not get off the bus, we never got on it.


So it was a determined, if much changed, squad from that game that took the field at Bridgehaugh in perfect conditions for rugby and with minimal changes, apart from in the pack where Cadell, Wiseman and Gray were rewarded with call ups to the firsts for the cup game at Greenock. Their places went to Mackinnon, Ludford and Hamilton and new recruit Nico Nyemba took his place on the bench.


Good start? No. two penalties in the first 3 minutes, needlessly conceded, gave the hosts the chance to take an early lead and it wasn't until the 8th minute that Hawks put together any kind of continuity. However it was worth waiting for. Patience and good ball presentation in contact took the forwards into the 22 and it was Ally Maclay who finished off the move, KB converting.


Almost immediately yet another mistake allowed Stirling to add another 3 points but Hawks responded yet again and Richie Macknight, who pushed and prodded the forwards all day, dived in for a try and the game then settled into a pattern of Hawks pressure, County pressure, ebb and flow. Right on half time KB put over a penalty and at the break Hawks led 15-9.


Lots of positive talk at half time And it seemed to work because Hawks blew the opposition away in the first ten minutes. Four tries, one converted by KB took the Hawks out to 37 points in this purple patch. First Stu Pollock scored a try then Phil Ludford flopped over after a succession of drives (at least he wasn't in touch when he dotted down unlike his countryman and former clubmate later in the day!)


The backs then capitalised on some quality ball and Stu Low and Sean Murray both benefited and at 37-9, real revenge should have been on the cards. However we seldom really put teams away, and this was no different. Teams in our league don't really give up – well I can think of one club! – and County are a proud club. In the final quarter they demonstrated this by out scoring Hawks by 3 tries to 1, 2 in the last 8 minutes.


Only Ally Maclay's try with 12 minutes to go, off Oatey's searing break with his first touch (great substitution, coach!), was a bright spot. I think I've said it before, in tight games these lapses of concentration, cost us. The potential to reach 50 points was lost and the score gave County some respectability, which to their credit, they had worked hard for.

Final score – Hawks 44 Stirling County 28


A good solid performance with some great rugby played by both sides. I don't like to single out individuals usually but Willie Wong has played a good solid game all season and yesterday even in that last 10 minutes, he was making hits and carrying ball – the quiet assassin. No showy stuff, just do the simple things and don't give up – great attitude.And to go back to that quote at the beginning – the nasty smell of that defeat last year has gone!


Well done lads, no game next week but the Nails the following week. Let's keep the numbers up at training, Super Cup places and Cup places are up for grabs

This article was posted on 4-Feb-2007, 17:36 by Hugh Barrow.