Glasgow Hawks 44 - 19 Heriot's FP

CALUM McNICOL at New Anniesland September 26 2005

Hawks levelled the city scores for Glasgow at the weekend, their victory over a pre-season favourite, Heriot's, racking one up for the West after Hearts' meritorious win against Rangers just hours earlier.
Rugby and football are distant cousins, it's true, but there are parallels between the leaders of the top divisions in both sports.
Both have now opened up a gorge-like gap on the chasing pack, and while Hearts haven't won anything for a while, the Hawks players – champions the last two years – go about their business like men not ready to relinquish their superiority lightly.
There the comparisons must end because Hawks were comfortable winners over their Edinburgh opponents, running in the bonus point fourth try before half an hour had passed.
Heriot's played in revs and reverses, a factor their coach, Ivan Tukalo, put down to the home side's ability to exert control of the ball, and, crucially, pilfer possession.
He said: "I can't take anything away from Hawks, they are a good side and I can't see anybody rolling them over this season."
Now, that is not an admission Alex McLeish nor Gordon Strachan would offer easily regarding their Tynecastle rivals, but Tukalo tells it like it is.
He added: "They play with a lot of composure and they're an 80-minute side. Rugby is a simple game: put the opposition under pressure and make your first time tackles. But you give turnovers away, usually because you are under pressure.
"My guys wouldn't have enjoyed being on the receiving end like that. When you are well and truly rolled over, that hurts. But we'll bounce back. To suggest that's the end of our season is just nonsense."
A sentiment likely to be shared by the managers of the Old Firm.
Heriot's were under the cosh from the start. Their inattention at an early penalty award let Mike Adamson take a quick tap and put Stuart Low in at the left corner.
His fellow wing, Steve Gordon, then took advantage of a comedy of errors in the Heriot's midfield to win the chase for his own pack ahead and Adamson converted for a 12-0 lead in half as many minutes.
The Hawks' coach, David Wilson, would later utter a chilling warning to Scottish club rugby that his side are far from the finished article, but he was magnanimous in triumph.
His observation that: "Heriot's moved the ball quite well, and at times we were struggling in open-phase defence" is only half true.
Hawks were dominant, but the capital side weren't always dormant. Superb hands from James Thompson, Ander Monro and Jamie Syme took play deep into the Hawks' 22, from where lock Jamie Osbourne crashed over. Monro added the extras.
Two tries from the rampaging home side then sandwiched an Adamson penalty. First, Murray Strang combined well with Low for the first, and flanker Neil McKenzie rounded off a surging move that he himself had started four phases earlier, Adamson converting for a 27-7 lead.
Heriot's again suggested they would make a game of it, ball-carrier Roddy Deans emerging blinking from a murk of bodies after a short, driven lineout which made the score 27-12 at half-time.
Hawks' Scott Forrest was denied a try after a strange decision by referee Ian Heard on the restart. An apt name, since he obviously hasn't heard of the advantage law.
Normal service was soon resumed when man-of-the- match, Ally Maclay, romped over for a deserved try. The third quarter was the visitors' best, with centre Cammy Goodall prospering from Monro's nifty break and reverse pass. The fly-half's conversion made it 32-19.
But two fine tries in the last five minutes by Adamson and then substitute Andy MacPhail put the icing on the cake and left Wilson clearly delighted his side have the right ingredients to stay champions.
He said: "We saw some good attacking rugby from Hawks. We are starting to get used to playing with each other, getting used to playing slightly differently to the way they have done in the last few years.
"I'd like to think there is better to come. We have to raise the bar where we're not just better than other clubs, but to where they are really having to chase us."
The pursuit of Hearts will continue in the SPL, but as our footballing cousins might avow, the egg-chasers' race looks over.

This article was posted on 26-Sep-2005, 07:43 by Hugh Barrow.