GHK 2nd XV Review of Season 2004/05

Slow start
The season commenced in an inauspicious manner when we were unable to raise a team to go to Lenzie. Lenzie instantly claimed the points in a move that our team management felt undermined the supposed sporting spirit of the league. However, it transpired to be a shrewd piece of foresight by Lenzie, who finished only four points from relegation. Played 1 won 0.

Corinthian spirit lives at Anniesland.
Waysiders/Drumpellier could not raise a team but in a Corinthian spirit that starkly contrasted with the attitude of other teams our manager commendably offered to stage the fixture later in the season. Played 1 won 0.

No-one enjoys North Ayrshire.
The 13 men who travelled to Ardrossan were reduced to 12 when Bryce Constable was carried off. The outcome was a 0-87 hammering. Frankly it was a brave decision to travel as under league rules if we had called off we would have been debited with only a 0-20 result. Played 2 won 0.

Gloom.
Marr visited Anniesland and with a combination of an inept all round performance by GHK and some useful attacking by Marr, the good guys were on the wrong end of another heavy defeat 5-54. Played 3 won 0.

Robbery.
Next up was Alan Glens’ at Anniesland and as Glens’ went three tries up relegation was looming during the first week of October! However, managers Christie and Love had assembled a healthy pack of substitutes and the balance of the team began to be found with replacement backs running straight lines and the forwards making tackles count. Glens’ went to sleep and GHK sneaked up to win 32-31. Star man Bill Criggie. Played 4 won 1.

Missed chances.
The 2nd XV fielded their first Scotland ‘A’ international for many years but he feigned injury to leave early and never came back in order to avoid being shown up by the usual back row. Despite it being a short journey to Stepps the boys must have thought it was the Steppes, and played as if they had been on the vodka all night. Missed chances to score early on followed by schoolboy errors and before we knew where we were we found ourselves in a student city centre bar drinking lager but nursing a 14-40 score line. To make matters worse the chip butties we were promised never did arrive. Star men: none. Played 5 won 1.

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune.
On such a sea are we now afloat;
We must use the current as it serves or lose our venture.
In a hard-fought game against a Helensburgh side who obviously fancied their chances it was GHK who emerged 19-17 victors amongst evidence of an improving defensive capability especially from the back row with the backs again selecting good running lines. With a second victory at Anniesland a suspicion began to grow that perhaps we enjoyed playing there rather than elsewhere. Given the quality of the changing facilities, pitches, bars, after match food and most importantly the company, that would hardly be surprising. The previous winning margin of one point was increased to two.
Star men: Roti Osibo, Graham Caskie. Played 6 won 2.

Miss of the season (twice).
On the back of the second victory of the season the side travelled to Whitecraigs with much optimism despite their presence near the top of the table. On a pitch that was reminiscent of the Battle of the Somme, the team conquered the youthful physicality of an opposition team including some potential ‘ringers’. Unfortunately the 5-7 scoreline came after ~Sandy Kennedy hit the post from a conversion in front of the posts (the ball rebounding in the wrong direction) and Colin McGonigle had dived over the ball lying in the opposition in-goal. Star man Alex Siddell. On the beer Kennedy, on the strips McGonigle. Played 7 won 2.

Dour.
In a very tight struggle against a surprisingly sprightly Stewarty team the improvement in defence was again illustrated in a 5-0 victory. Christie was denied a clear score by the referee being posted missing from the action. Star men Mathew Inglis, Roti Osibo and other back row players. Played 8 won 3.

Easy.
Lenzie came calling to be sent packing by the now resurgent GHK, albeit with a disappointing (as the team management wanted more) 27-17 scoreline. Played 9 won 4.

Sensational.
The return match against Ardrossan demonstrated how far the team had progressed in half a season. This time with a full team (but only one substitute, a second having been called on to referee Hawks 2nd XV on an adjoining pitch) and following a hard fought match in which Ardrossan missed many chances to score, the result of 3-0 represented a sensational turn-around of 90 points. One would expect this to be some sort of record. During the match Paul Taylor had to go off injured and Ardrossan had a man dismissed for foul play. After the match a top quality Christmas dinner was served to all participants. Star men: All eight forwards and Bill Criggie. Played 10 won 5.

Marr mauled.
The trip to league leaders Marr allowed GHK to display their new secret weapon at centre, the Australian Tom Henderson, who scored three tries, of which a brace were sensational efforts from some distance. The rest of the team put in a sterling all round performance and the 30-25 scoreline was respectable only through a late Marr revival. The match was played on the good quality school pitches. Marr is always a friendly place to go but on this occasion the club steward had neglected to order oil resulting in cold showers all round. Star men: Tom Henderson, Robbie Alexander and Scott Burleigh who played scrumhalf rather than his usual front row! Played 11 won 6.

Undergraduates overwhelmed.
Strathclyde University came to Anniesland with the 2nd XV in a no-nonsense mood and were blown away 50-7 following a solid all-round performance.
Star men: Tom Henderson, Colin McGonnigle. Played 12 won 7.

Hellish in Helensburgh
A weakened team travelled to Helensburgh and recorded a 19-47 result. It was much worse than this as only a late comeback hinted at some element of competition. This was perhaps the only time in the season when team selection was awry, as two back row players fielded at centre were torn to shreds by the lively and experienced home backs. With the benefit of hindsight (yes, always easy!) it would have been better to shore up the central defence with the experienced backs and ‘hide’ the others on the wing. Sandy Kennedy playing out of position at stand-off half inspired the late comeback and grabbed two tries. Star man: Sandy Kennedy. Played 13 won 7.

Referee fails to trap.
When the appointed match official had failed to show by five minutes before kick-off GHK demonstrated their all-round skills and advanced level of preparation by offering a qualified referee from within the ranks of their substitutes. The opposition captain from Whitecraigs accepted this kind offer but was over-ruled by the team coach. After much to-ing and fro-ing it was agreed at 15 minutes after the appointed time for kick-off that the GHK substitute would referee the game. Just then a spectator appeared from the Hawks game declaring himself to be qualified to under 19 level and Whitecraigs were presented with him or the GHK alternative (qualified to Premier 1 and touch judging in the European cup). Whitecraigs selected the former (who had a very good game) and quickly set about building a lead over GHK. However, showing the physical and mental strength that on most Saturdays was a hallmark of the team, we recovered to take an 8 point lead half way through the second half. The referee David McNair came off the substitutes’ bench to score his first try since the Lochaber sevens in 1992 and to register a try scored in every decade since and including the sixties. As he emerged from in-goal a Whitecraigs player was heard to utter ‘Oh no the ref scored’. In a disgraceful neglect of etiquette none of the Whitecraigs players appeared in the bar to face the rational exuberance of the GHK team or to reveal when was the last time a 49 year old retired referee scored against them. The try was converted to make it three scores ahead to the good guys, i.e. game, set and match. The final score was 36-13. Star men: Chuck McIlroy, Bill Criggie, Colin McGonigle, and Jamie MacIntyre. Played 14 won 8.

Glens’ robbed again!
From the start Glens’, playing in front of an unusually large crowd at the Bearyards, ripped in to the GHK defence and soon built up a two try lead. GHK spent most of the rest of the game consolidating their position and preventing the leaking of more tries. With no alternative, Alex Christie moved to play wing forward and found out in brutal style the difference between the gentility of the backs and the brutality of the forwards. Late in the game a Glens’ move broke down in midfield and Liam McDermid pounced on the ball to easily outstrip the defence from 50m to score under the posts. A penalty from Bill Criggie and the boys were within a point but with the clock conforming to Einsteinian theories. With four minutes to go GHK had the throw-in to a line-out five metres from their own line. In a desperate last throw of the dice Bill instructed Liam to stand at the dead-ball line where he would receive a pass and run 110m through the whole Glens’ back line to score a winning try under the posts. Remarkably what happened next was that Liam stood at the dead-ball line where he received a pass and ran 180m around the whole Glens’ back line to score a winning try under the posts. Glens’ robbed again: 23-17. Star men: Liam McDermid, Bill Criggie. Played 15 won 9.

Missionary work declined.
A combination of factors reduced the playing squad such that we did not travel to Stewarty. 0-20. Played 16 won 9.

Waysiders fail to trap.
The season ended in confusion and disappointment as Waysiders telephoned one hour before the appointed kick-off time to reveal that they would not travel to Anniesland for the double-header. There was much gnashing of teeth and cursing at this cruel end to the season. Played 18 won 11. Position in league -fourth.

Summary.
Perhaps the star forward of the season was Joe Fuchs who consistently was an essential part of our forward power. Ken O’Callachan ably assisted him on those occasions when he turned up and had not been out the night before. Many others contributed to the development of the team through the season: Bryce Constable (a young Turk); Rod McLeod; Calum MacKenzie; John Boyle (Chelsea Pensioner); Sandy Kennedy (impressive performer); Damien Lawrence (international brigade); Sam Makusha (most improved player) and Graham Caskie.

Perhaps the most important participants were the management team of Jake Love & Alex Christie, without whose efforts it would not have been possible.

Next season.
As we beat every team in the league at least once there is nothing to fear from next season. If we can start earlier and only slightly increase our fitness level, then we will increase our enjoyment as we will be bound to win.

David McNair,
Record Keeper - GHK 2nd XV
posted by scott inglis 10:41 PM

This article was posted on 25-May-2005, 13:46 by Hugh Barrow.