Match Report - GHK v Accies

It was cold and the rain was incessant. Not a night for attractive running rugby ....or so you would have thought. However GHK and Glasgow Accies both came out to have a go from the start.

In the early minutes, Accies had most of the possession but were contained in their own half by determined GHK tackling. Then, almost before the game really got going, Accies number 7Andrew Jackson was stretchered off with a leg injury.

A penalty clearance kick was Accies first foray into the GHK half. Another penalty on the 22 metre line gave Accies the first chance of points but the kick was missed.

GHK then broke out of defence down the left wing with a neat pass and kick ahead that Accies had to scramble into touch just short of their line. From the resulting lineout, GHK were forced to play the ball back to half way but moved it right to number 11 Joe Sergeant-Awuse who carried from the 10m line, breaking several tackles to force his way over the line in the right-hand corner for GHK’s first try. The conversion was struck well but finished wide of the posts. [5 – 0]

On 20 minutes, GHK cleared from their own corner to centre field where the ball was allowed to bounce and GHK were the first to gather it. A punt upfield by Danny Hoffmann was reached by a defender but he was quickly caught and GHK were awarded a penalty for not releasing. A kick to touch on 5 metres resulted in a scrum to GHK from the lineout. Following a couple of phases of pick and drive, the ball was spun left and Full Back Aubrey Horton cut a scything line through to touch down under the posts ... only to be called back for a forward pass.

Accies were very sharp off the back of that next scrum in their own 22 and put a man away down the right. The breakaway runner was only hauled down 15 metres short of the try line at the other end.

On 25 minutes, an Accies penalty was kicked deep into GHK’s half and gave them an attacking lineout which they won. GHK defended well on the gain line and strong tackling forced a knock-on. Playing advantage, GHK moved the ball quickly to put the Left Wing clear but that final pass was deemed forward.

From a surging break down the right into the Accies half, GHK Right Wing picked up from the back of a ruck and drove forward. Untidy ball was then flipped back off the ground and swung left. Accies defence held out and regained possession but a clearance kick was kept out of touch (to a few shouts of “knock on” from the Accies bench). GHK played the whistle and swung the ball across field to the right, breaking through the defence with a very flat pass to the Right Wing who was brought to the ground 3 metres short of the line. Number 10 Andrew Fleming was on hand to take a flip pass and score in the right-hand corner. No conversion. [10 – 0]

Accies failed to control the restart and from scrappy play GHK Hooker Gordi Reid took an interception in his own half and outsprinted all the chasing runners to score in the left-hand corner. Good conversion from the touchline. [17 – 0]

In the last play of the half, Accies kicked a penalty from the 10 metre line. [17 – 3]

HALF TIME

The second half began with GHK knocking on from the restart. From the scrum, Accies attack was well defended but the referee brought them back for a penalty infringement at the previous scrum. [17 – 6]

Good passages of play from both sides were interrupted by knock-ons and penalties.

From a ruck under their own posts, an Accies clearance kick didn’t reach touch and was caught by GHK’s Full Back. With plenty of time to size up the distance he went for a long-range drop goal ... which the referee wasn’t quick enough to dodge.

From a lineout in GHK’s 22, Accies mounted an attack but could find no way through the well organised GHK defence. Turnover ball was taken on by number 20 Gregor Hollerin who burst through and made it all the way to the other end of the pitch for a try. Easy conversion. [24 – 6]

Accies began to struggle to get out of their own 22. In broken play GHK were winning all loose ball. A penalty for not releasing in the tackle finally gave Accies a chance to prod the ball down into touch in GHK’s half. Accies were finding no way through but a penalty for a high tackle from Gordi Reid (!) took play to a lineout 5 metres from GHK’s line. Accies chose not to kick another penalty in front of the posts and called a scrum instead. A quick number 8 pick up and pop pass move worked well only for the ball to be spilled forward in the tackle. However that knock-on was shielded from the referee’s view and the try was awarded. [24 – 13]

After an exchange of punts up the middle of the park, play settled into a series of ruck plays on half way.

Great GHK pressure gradually forced Accies back to a lineout 5 metres from their own line from which the clearance kick didn’t get out of their 22. From the next play, Accies defence were penalised. A GHK tap and go was kept out but recycled ball was fed right and driven over under the posts. Conversion missed (!) [29 - 18]

Both sides kept playing right to the final whistle but that was the final score. A great advert for club rugby.

article was originally posted on 12-Feb-2011, 01:23 by Russell Sim.

This article was originally posted on 12-Feb-2011, 10:22 by Hugh Barrow.
Last updated by Hugh Barrow on 12-Feb-2011, 10:28.