For the 6th week in a row it is good to be able to comment on a win especially when it is one away from home. Accies played well on Saturday and although the win was against the bottom side in the league it was still an impressive performance. The team is now playing as a team and the forwards and backs are combining together to form a powerful attacking force.
By any standards the Accies pack is big. They have a solid front row who have improved with every game since a shaky start at the beginning of the season. They regularly get strikes against the head which is almost unheard of in the modern game. In the 2nd row you can pick any two from four, Robin Bryant, Fraser Cameron and the two old war horses Sandy Fitzpatrick and Steve Begley and you have an effective unit.
In the backrow the return of Andy Jackson has created a new dynamic as he simply buzzes around the park in a highly effective way and wins a huge amount of 50:50 ball. Jack Walker, who is still only 19 has returned from injury and once he is up to match fitness will add another dimension to the No. 8 slot. Finally there is the irrepressible Cruz, a thundering presence and great finisher. He scored again on Saturday.
On top of all this Claudio Urra who joined us earlier in the season has a massive tackle count to his credit and is another man of considerable bulk. After all that there is Graeme Simpson who has been such a good servant to the Club over the years and is now having to fight for a place in the side. The competition for places is the greatest for a long time. All in all this must be one of the biggest packs of recent years and they are now beginning to make their presence felt on the field of play.
The coaches will have some difficult choices to make for the game on Saturday. David Calder will probably be missing which will see the return of Alan Perrie and Fraser Cameron has to work and is therefore unavailable.
The backs have started to click and in Mike Hermes and Dougie Horne there is real pace and clinical finishing. Mike has fully regained his confidence and hunger for tries, two more last Saturday and Dougie has genuine pace and ability to beat his opposite number. Add to that Craig Wright and the competition for places on the wing is as intense as it is in the back row.
Stewart Smith is having a stormer of a season in attack and defence and his fellow centre and captain Jamie Doig is showing signs that he has fully recovered from the knee operation that kept him out of the game all last season. Brad Bell at fullback has been a real find. He is superb under a high ball and a great last line of defence. His powerful running adds impact top the threequarterline.
At stand off there has been quite a bit of experimenting with Ben Wilkinson, Alan Wilson and Carl Bates all having played there without any of them becoming a fixture but all performing well. Alan Wilson can also play scrum half if ever Richard Mcknight is unavailable.
The one aspect of Richard's play that has improved is his goal kicking a vital ingredient for any side.
The real test for this team comes on Saturday when they play Lasswade who currently lie in second place in the league 2 points ahead of Accies. This is the return fixture. In the first game of the season. Accies lost 24-20 having been 20-19 up with five minutes to play. In hindsight this was not Accies best performance of the season as they appeared to be very ring rusty and were missing a number of players.
Both sides have lost 4 games each to date so it could not be closer.
The game kicks off at 12 noon at Hawthornden, Rosewell Road, Bonnyrigg, Midlothian. This a new facility and reports say that it is an excellent playing surface.
There is still room on the team coach leaving Anniesland at 9-30. If you wish to travel please call alasdair Graham on 0141 616 4056. Some supporters have already indicated that they are coming with the team so please call early. This game could determine the promotion places for this season and therefore a large vociferous support is vital

Boxing Day
Yes, it is that time already. The annual match between Accies and Accies Exiles will take place on Saturday 26th December at 2pm. This is one of the biggest days of the year at New Anniesland and as usual there will be a Family Lunch before the game. This is always a good opportunity for all the family to get together and give mum a break from the kitchen sink. (We promise that turkey will not be on the menu)
Tickets price £14 for adults and £7.50 for 10 years and under are available. Contact Alasdair Graham on [email protected]
This year we hope to have a souvenir programme available. If you are interested in advertising the cost is £50 for a half page. Contact as above
We hope to see you on Saturday

This article was posted on 13-Nov-2009, 08:34 by Hugh Barrow.