Lowly Position So Harsh On Talented Hawks, Says Coach Peter Wright
Jan 29 2009 By Matthew Leslie
As the SHE Rugby Premiership enters the final bend we take a look at Hawks' battle to stay up
GLASGOW HAWKS boss Peter Wright claims their lowly position would be easier to accept if they were mediocre.
The Old Anniesland are staring into the relegation barrel as the Premiership campaign enters the business end of the season.
With two clubs scheduled to go down, Hawks are hovering precariously above the drop zone lying third from bottom, three points ahead of Saturday's opponents Hawick and four ahead of basement side Stirling County.
The former Scotland prop returned to the club last summer in order to rebuild a club that had gone in transition from his first spell.
Back then Wright had led Hawks to a period of success with one or two observers referring to the west enders as Scotland's unofficial professional team, suggesting they should be slugging it out with Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh in the Magners League, such was their prowess.
But the more successful they became, their grip on the teams best talent began to losen one official pro team - the Warriors - helped themselves.
Thom and Max Evans, Stevie Swindall, Eric Milligan and more recently Ruaridh Jackson have all received the Warrior call.
While Wright and all connected with Hawks do not begrudge the respective players' promotions, it means that he has to ensure his latest crop of young players grow up fast.
He said: "If this team were mediocre then our league status would be easier to accept.
"But the frustrating thing is that at times we have shown ourselves to be a very good team who on their day can win.
"The recent victories against Currie and Boroughmuir have shown that we do have a very good team but unfortunately, we tend to switch of during some parts of the game which ultimately cost us.
"The defeat when we visited Boroughmuir in September aside, we have always shown that we can battle to the end.
"That is all well and good but we need to build on that and convert that fighting spirit into a winning one.
"Take last weekend's defeat at Melrose as an example. We were awful in the first half and allowed them to build up a lead. We fight back but lose 22-18. It would be nice to know what the score could have been had we turned up for the first 40 minutes.
"Now we're facing Hawick and whoever loses that one is going to find it very hard to beat the drop. If we win, we have some breathign space and probably need just one more victory. If not, then the pressure is really on."
Hawks will be hampered with the absence of some experienced names.
Wright adds: "Both Mike Adamson and Colin Shaw will be unavailable so the younger guys are going to have to come of age quickly.
"But if we play to our strengths and react to certain situations in the right manner then we have a chance of edging a step nearer to Premiership rugby next season."

This article was posted on 30-Jan-2009, 12:32 by Hugh Barrow.