THE SCOTSMAN REPORTS
Hawks dig deep to snatch victory

WILLIAM PAUL
AT MYRESIDE


Watsonians 25
Glasgow Hawks 28

THE engrained winning mentality of defending champions Glasgow Hawks conjured up a last-minute score to snatch an unlikely and undeserved victory from this eight-try thriller and maintain their 100 per cent record in the league.


The visitors should have been on easy street after strolling into a 7-21 lead only to be rattled by a tremendous second-half fightback from Watsonians that saw them take edge into the lead with just minutes remaining. The Edinburgh side believed they had won it. So ineffectual had Hawks been in the second period that when they kicked off 24-21 down and somehow recovered the ball it was the virtually the first time they had penetrated the home 22.

Yet, after flanker Mark Sitch was stopped as he lunged for the line, the Watsonians defenders naively allowed themselves to be sucked in around the ruck and Hawks instantly took advantage of the overlap that was created with big lock Steve Begley on the right wing running in unopposed.

A mightily relieved Hawks coach David Wilson said: "To come back at the end and score that try is a trait that shows the players are used to winning.

"We will take the win but at 7-21 at half- time were in command and it was unacceptable to allow Watsonians back into the game. We struggled at times and got too flustered. However, I think when we manage to put together a complete performance we will give somebody a roasting."

Watsonians were left to curse their bad luck and look ahead to when they can put together a complete performance of their own that will demolish lesser opponents. On Saturday's showing, if they can find the right blend and cut out the careless mistakes, they are more likely to be chasing the championship than dodging the drop.

"The Watsonians of old would probably have folded by 50 points," said player coach Cammy Mather. "So at least we have turned that corner. We let ourselves down badly in the first half, then fought our way back into it only to lose it when all we needed to do was stick with one to one defence. But it's a learning curve, and we're learning."

Watsonians got off to the best possible start in the first minute when scrum half Jamie Blackwood collected a grubber kick and dotted it down in the corner. Hawks didn't do much at all until the 17th minute when a succession of quick passes culminated with centre Mike Adamson carving a path through defence to equalise.

Then Adamson should have kicked his side into the lead but a simple penalty from 20 metres out thumped against the post and the Watsonians defenders were again guilty of lazy ball watching as Hawks reacted first and full-back Graydon Staniforth scored. The Watsonians pack then got in front of a 22 drop out and at the set scrum in the middle, despite telegraphing the back row pick up, Hawks still managed to steer Staniforth in for his second and his team's third try. Adamson added the conversion.

The half-time break could not come soon enough for Watsonians so they could draw breath and sort themselves out. They did so pretty effectively and within minutes of the restart a rolling maul from a line out had crossed Hawks line only to be held up. But from the ensuing scrum, four phases of possession first to the left and then to the right created space for Brian Rennie to score.

Bernard Hennessey missed the conversion but landed a penalty to further reduce the margin and keep up the momentum. Hawks were under siege by now as another penalty was awarded inside the 22. Watsonians kicked for the corner and Hawks could not stop the rolling maul that ended with Alex Baddeley at the bottom of the heap to make the score 20-21. Hennessey hooked the conversion wide.

Watsonians kept hammering away but it was not until the 78th minute that they made the breakthrough. A speculative kick ahead from midfield was almost charged down and the ball spun awkwardly allowing replacement winger James Easton to hack it over the line and win the race to touch it down.

It should have been all over then, but it wasn't. The Hawks heads didn't go down. Instead they raised their game and set their sights on the Watsonians try line.

Self belief against the odds produced the dramatic late surge, even as the referee was looking at his watch, to set up Begley to take the final pass and raise the ball aloft in one hand like an Olympic torch bearer as he crossed the line.

Scorers: Watsonians: Tries: Blackwood, Rennie, Baddeley, Easton Cons: Hennessey Pens: Hennessey. Glasgow Hawks: Tries: Staniforth 2, Adamson, S Begley Cons: Adamson 4

Watsonians: A Nash; S McAllister, B Rennie, B Hennessey, W Campbell; C Gregor, J Blackwood; K Coertze, S Lawrie, A Welsh, I Simpson, I Dryburgh, C Mather, A Baddeley, G Hills. Subs used: J Easton, D Payne.

Glasgow Hawks: G Staniforth; S Low, M Adamson, S Duffy, C MacElroy; M Strang, S Biggart; E Milligan, M Smith, P Dalton, A Warnock, R Maxton, S Forrest, M Sitch, N Mckenzie. Subs used: G Francis, S Begley, A Reekie.

Referee: A Ireland.

This article was posted on 12-Sep-2005, 06:29 by Hugh Barrow.