Hawks' smooth Velvet
Independent, The (London), May 10, 1998 by Simon Turnbull at Murrayfield

Kelso 14

Glasgow Hawks 36

WHILE football's Old Firm were settling their latest dispute
yesterday, the New Firm of Scottish rugby were busy winning silverware
of their own at Murrayfield. The embryonic Glasgow Hawks ended their
momentous debut season as Scottish Cup winners. They enjoyed a smooth
passage to victory in the final of the Tennent's Velvet Scottish Cup,
striking a decisive blow for new age rugby against the old. Formed
last summer by the merger of Glasgow High- Kelvinside and Glasgow
Academicals, the multi-national brigade bankrolled by the millionaire
Brian Simmers were too powerful a force for a Kelso team unpaid and,
with one exception, home grown. It was Tommy Hayes, one of the Hawks'
two internationals from the Cook Islands, who did the most damage. The
outside-half landed four penalties and two conversions and
orchestrated the bulk of his side's ruthless attacking. Kelso's
try-line was breached four times, initially by Derek Stark, the
Scotland wing who was once dubbed "the fastest pastry chef in
international rugby". Last night the flying wing could savour a feast
of his own making at the Three-Quarters, the sports cafe he opened
last week in partnership with Gregor Townsend and Rowen Shepherd in
Edinburgh's Grassmarket. Twelve months ago Stark was in the Melrose
team who beat Boroughmuir in the final and kept the cup in the
Borders, Hawick having won the inaugural competition in 1996. Right
from the start yesterday the trophy seemed destined for Glasgow as the
Hawks sank their claws into Kelso, David Wilson and Alastair Common
coming within inches of a try in the opening eight minutes. Hayes
landed a penalty in the 12th minute but Kelso, to the delight of their
huge following in the 23,345 crowd, were first to break through. Their
12th-minute try was prompted by the scum-half Graeme Cowe, with a
precision punt to the touch on the right, within five metres of the
Hawks' line. Iain Fullerton plucked the throw and Iain Fairley
confirmed his conversion from scrum-half to centre, taking a crash-
ball from Johnny Wearne to score to the left of the posts. Wearne -
Kelso's outside-half and, as a native of Johannesburg, the one
outsider in their parochial ranks - kicked the conversion. It gave the
underdogs a 7-3 lead which they held for just nine minutes. The Hawks
swept forward from half-way, Hayes broke the Kelso line on the right
and shipped the ball wide to provide Derek Stark with a clear run to
the line. Hayes converted and added three further penalties to his
personal account before Kelso, trailing 19-7, missed their chance to
turn the tide. Gordon Laing released Colin Jackson on the right and if
the wing had been able to hurdle like his namesake he might have
salvaged a losing cause. Instead, Jackson was bundled into touch by
Glenn Metcalfe, the Hawks' Kiwi full-back, and Kelso's hopes were
buried under a flurry of points. Common scored on the overlap and Gary
Mackay did like wise, picking up from the base of a five-metre scrum,
before Wearne replied with Kelso's second try in the first minute of
injury time. Even then, it was no final consolation. In the fourth
minute of overtime, Common burst through again on the left. So the cup
headed west, overflowing with Glaswegian points. The Shield, the prize
for the Scottish Rugby Union's second tier competition went to the
Borders - but only just. It came tantalisingly close to being carried
across the border by the burgeoning English force in Scottish rugby.
Berwick, who in seven seasons have risen from the Edinburgh District
League to division three of the Premier League, led Selkirk 11-10 as
injury time approached. But, then, just as the Berwickians were
preparing to celebrate the town's finest sporting hour since 1967
(when the Rangers of Northumberland dumped the Rangers of Glasgow out
of the Scottish Cup), the Scottish Shield was wrenched from their
grip. Cameron Cochrane, Selkirk's outside centre, touched down and Guy
Blair converted. Thus, by a score of 17-11, an English XV came to
grief at Murrayfield for the first time since 1990. Glasgow Hawks: G
Metcalfe; D Stark, C Simmers (M McGrandles,80), D Wilson, A Common; T
Hayes (C McGregor, 78), S Simmers (C Little, 50); G McIlwham, C
Docherty (K Horton, 78), M Beckham (M Blackie, 70), C Afuakwah, S
Hutton, F Wallace, G Mackay (A Ness, 70), M Wallace. Kelso: D Baird; S
Ross, G Laing, I Fairley, C Jackson; J Wearne, G Cowe; S Murray (R
Hogarth, 68), K Thomson, D Howlett, I Fullerton, S Laing (S Rowley,
73), S Bennet, S Forsyth, A Roxburgh. Referee: C Muir (Langholm).

This article was posted on 28-Feb-2007, 12:24 by Hugh Barrow.