Courtesy of www.glasgowwarriors.com

BT Championship Preview


So the Maybe-BT Championship begins this weekend. Club rugby starting during the 4th test, unbelievable. Once more there are a spread of sides throughout the 3 Premier leagues, but with this concept itself finishing at the end of the Season there is much to play for.
Premier 1 has Glasgow Hawks contending for what the Yanks would call a Threepeat, or as we would say a Hat-trick of titles. I am writing this blind without knowing who has been allocated from the pro-sides. So here is a run through the prospects of the local sides.

Glasgow Hawks

Eric Milligan has been made captain of Hawks, and with Chris Docherty back in the pack there won't be any lack of effort. New coach David Wilson has big shoes to fill following the departure of Peter Wright. Wilson is a former player at the club and it is to be hoped that this "familiarity" will not hinder him as it has coaches here in the past. In the end it is difficult to see how the loss of Colin Shaw, Fergus Thomson and Stevie Swindall can be overcome, especially when veteran Guy Perret is on his way back to West in Prem 3. Iain Kennedy and Donald Malcolm have come over the river from GHA but the strengthening of Heriot's who have taken on a swathe of Hawick men will be difficult to recover from. I think Hawks will compete but will finish as Runners up. However they are due their Biannual trip to Murrayfield in their, sorry, the Cup Final.

Biggar

Cliche, cliche, the surprise package of 2004-05, Gary Parker brought that element of Royston Vasey to Prem 1, with his team of "local" boys. Some have left to back to their local homes several thousand miles away, but there has been an important injection of Jocks from the borders, Lee Kibble and Ian Berthinussen are outstanding. The element of surprise will be lost but other teams have become significantly weaker. They are always dificult to beat at Hartreemill and I think they will finish 6th.

Ayr

An enigma, wrapped in a..., well you know the drill. They secured their position in the downstairs dogfight fairly early on and then decided not to play. This is surprising from a side which can exhibit great team spirit. There close season losses are huge, Manning, Bruning, Kyle not Leith, Heaton and Goldie. Most sides would just shut up shop after this (Look at Hawick), but they have attracted some great players and when they gel they will be very difficult to defeat. Andy Kelly, John Malakoty, AJ McFarlane and James Eddie (Poor GHA) along with a series of overseas buys who at least appear to have come from a good gene pool, Shule Going, (Part of the Sid Going clan). This could well be Ayr's year to challenge, however I think it will take something special to beat Hawks and Heriots so I guess 3rd place for Ayr.

Stirling County

So we welcome back the classic community club from the heart of Braveheart country. Fresh from winning 21 out of 22 games last year. The men from the carse have bounced back in one season. On the downside their totem, Shawn Renwick has returned back to the land of the bankrupt Rand, on the plus side a parcel of young players who were clearly out of their depth two seasons ago have come back knowing how to win. I don't think they will rampage through the league instead I think they'll find a middle way. they wiull cetainly be above the group be "re-organised" into the oblivion which will be relegation this year. I also notice another GHA refugee, in the shape of John Barclay. Calling Braidholm, will the last person leaving please remember to...

Premiership 1 Predictions

Champions: Heriots
Runners up: Hawks
3rd: Ayr
4th: Muir
5th: Aberdeen GSFP
6th: Biggar
7th: Stirling County
8th: Rose
9th: Sonians
10th: Stewarts Melville
11th: Hawick
12th: Currie
Scottish Cup

Champions: Glasgow Hawks
Runners up: Hills-Jills

note from Ed--don,t worry Phall nobody else in Glasgow knows who the allocations are--except Edinburgh are off and running and releasing players this weekend --come on Glasgow!!!

This article was originally posted on 24-Aug-2005, 21:30 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 25-Aug-2005, 06:57.