Easton calls for the killer instinct

GARY HEATLY
AT MYRESIDE


Watsonians 25
Glasgow Hawks 28

WATSONIANS' James Easton believes he and his fellow backs need to be more clinical and support their "fantastic" forwards, after an injury-time try saw Glasgow Hawks win a truly pulsating encounter at Myreside.


The replacement winger looked to have won the Premier One match for the Capital side when he scored a try with four minutes remaining. He followed up a kick by captain Alan Nash to dribble with the ball and dot down on the left.

However, Hawks fought back and in an amazing finale another replacement, second row Steve Begley, ironically a former 'Sonian, popped up on the wing to dive over and score an injury-time winner.

Centre Mike Adamson converted to give Hawks a three-point victory.

Reacting after the final whistle, Easton said: "Everyone is disappointed, you never like losing games, especially in the last minute. I didn't feel the job was done when I scored as Hawks have not got themselves where they are by giving up easily and all credit to them for fighting back.

"Our backs will need to step up a little bit more in the coming weeks and take more of our chances because we are being presented with lots of good possession."

The defeat, which earned 'Sonians two bonus points, was harsh on Cammy Mather's men who had fought back from 21-7 down at the break to lead 25-21 thanks to second-half tries from centre Brian Rennie, back row Alex Baddeley and Easton.

The loss was 'Sonians' first of the season after opening wins over Aberdeen Grammar and Ayr had left a sense of optimism in the air at Myreside, but Saturday's game against the defending champions was always going to be a good marker as to how far they had come from the side who toiled last term.

And there is no doubt improvements have been made as Easton testified. "The forwards were fantastic. The effort they put in was amazing and the scrum has been phenomenal so far this season. The front five is where a game can be won and lost and if our front five are going to compete as they have done over the last three games then we will always be in games. We were playing the champions and didn't look out of place."

Certainly the pack are performing well at the moment with props Andrew Welsh and Kian Coertze along with back row Guy Hills having had good starts to the season. It is in the back line where things do not quite seem to be clicking into place. That may seem a strange statement to make given that the Myresiders have run in 11 tries in their three league outings but they will feel that a couple more tries were left out on the pitch this time.

Too often centre Bernie Hennessey took the wrong option, no more evidently than when he tried to make it to the line himself with 15 minutes remaining when a simple pass would have sent Rennie in for a try.

Still, to dwell on the negatives would be to take away from a great advert for the Scottish club game and a performance from Watsonians that their supporters could only have dreamed of even six months ago.

The home side started well and were rewarded after just two minutes when scrum half Jamie Blackwood went over on the left. He chased a chip ahead by stand off and Scotland Sevens colleague Colin Gregor, following a typically elusive run by the No.10, and managed to touch down.

Watsonians continued to look comfortable with Hawks struggling to put moves together until the game turned on its head when the visitors woke from their slumbers and scored three converted tries in a 20-minute spell.

Two of these went to Hawks' impressive Australian full back Graydon Staniforth. The Glasgow pro, who moved north during the summer from Exeter Chiefs, took a pass from centre Steven Duffy to score the first. He also got the third, after Adamson's try had given Hawks the lead for the first time in the afternoon.

Watsonians of old would have felt their chance was gone at that point, but there is a fighting spirit in the side now.

Such grit appeared soon after the restart when Rennie went in for his side's second try and when Hennessey reduced the deficit to just six points with a penalty the game was back in the melting pot. Following concerted pressure on the visitors' line Baddeley went over to set up a tense finish, before Easton and Begley traded the final blows.

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

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

Referee: A Ireland (Grangemouth).

This article was posted on 12-Sep-2005, 13:56 by Hugh Barrow.