Hawks 2nd XV v Boroughmuir 8/9/07


“ The will to win is important – but the will to prepare is vital.” –Walter Payton



The first home game of the season and maximum disruption before hand. Call offs, some as late as Saturday morning, late arrivals and general mayhem meant a hugely different team took the field from the previous week, but poor attendance at Thursday’s session also meant a lack of proper preparation.


A bright day, perfect for running rugby and a well-grassed field at the School grounds augered well for a fixture which produced two cracking games last season. Some of the players on both sides were clearly in the twilight of their careers but they were to provide the calming influences both sides needed, youth being very much the order of the day throughout both sides.


Early exchanges were pretty even but it was the visitors who got the first points on the board, with a try which owed as much to poor Hawks tackling as anything. Ten minutes played Hawks 0-7 down. The Hawks lineout with Stu Pollock and Jon Morrisey reigning supreme were stealing opposition ball and depriving the dangerous ‘muir backs of the ball they craved. Some good forward and backs interplay resulted in Chris Breckenridge slicing through under the posts, although the forward roll to score would not score highly in any gymnastics competition. An easy conversion for KB, 7-7.


Another score followed 5 minutes later with Rory Love bagging the first of his tries in defence of his top scorer crown, with a scampering run. Another conversion from under the posts for KB and this lead was extended even further by his wing partner Stu Dunk 5 minutes later. Twenty five minutes played and Hawks led 19-7. Complacency just before the break allowed ‘muir to score a try, which was converted.


HALF TIME: HAWKS 19 BOROUGHMUIR 14


Two changes at half time with Jamie Coskry replacing Alan Perrie in the front row - Alan being heard to say that in future it will be his wife who takes his son to school rugby on a Saturday morning so that he can avoid being press-ganged by me – and Callum Rankine making his Hawks debut in the centre for Chris Breckenridge.


The impetus was clearly with the visitors at this point and the first twenty minutes of the second half gave them 11 unanswered point through a try and two penalties. Some Hawks players seemed to be wilting but harsh words from Kiddsy brought a rapid reply to ‘muir’s 2nd penalty. Nick Cox, playing for the first time since the cup final, barged his way over for a trademark score, converted by KB for a one point lead, with just under 20 minutes to go.


With 5 minutes to go and the game poised to go either way, Sean Murray had great cause to be extremely thankful for Pene Navu’s tireless running when, having scorned a chance to score a try, ‘muir failed to clear their lines and Pene flopped on the loose ball. With the last play of the game Stu Dunk rounded off a fine breakout to score his 2nd try.


FINAL SCORE: HAWKS 38 BOROUGHMUIR 25



A game which lived up to previous fixtures and was played in fine style by both sides. Considering the preparations it was a terrific result for Hawks. Kiddsy summed it up in his post match talk, making it clear that while it was a good result, there needed to be a greater commitment to training. There are harder games to come in future weeks. Read the quote at the top of the page.

This article was posted on 9-Sep-2007, 22:09 by Hugh Barrow.