IF the remainder of Cumnock Rugby Club's Jubilee Season goes as well as Saturday's grand opener against Premiership side Glasgow Hawks did - then it will be a success, writes MATT VALLANCE.

The only downside to Saturday's game was the final result - a 54-7, eight tries to one, win for the Hawks was, regardless of the chasm in league status between the two sides - a hiding. But, to put that in context, you would expect the likes of Kilmarnock or St Mirren to put that many goals past say Lugar Boswell Thistle or Muirkirk Juniors.

But the Cumnock side - strictly speaking 'A Cumnock President's XV' gave their exalted semi-professional visitors a good hard game and post-match Hawks's skipper Rory McKay, the reigning Premiership One Player of the Year said: "It was a good work-out for us, Cumnock posed a few questions of us and it was a terrific occasion to be part of".

That view was echoed by Cumnock president Jim Morrison; big 'Tober' saying: "We are indebted to Hawks for agreeing to come down and provide the opposition for the first set-piece of our big year and they certainly demonstrated a level of rugby expertise to which we hope our young players can aspire".

The match attracted a good attendance and if Sam Wilson and Davie Murray - who both accepted deserved long-service awards before the kick-off, were, along with your scribe and Ayr's ace photographer Sandy Crawford, the only spectators who could remember the first season, there were enough weel-kent faces from days of yore around to make it an afternoon to remember - particularly for 'Nock skipper Davie Kerr, who got the Cumnock try which, with the conversion, brought the score back to 7-7 at the first break in the four x 20 minute sessions over which the match was played.

Hawks eased out to lead 14-7 at the second break, thereafter, as they found their fluency and the six levels of rugby gap in fitness and class between Premiership One and Glasgow Division Three began to be extended. Hawks led 40-7 at the third break before adding two more converted tries in the final 20 minutes; however, to be fair to Cumnock, in that final period they enjoyed a good deal of territorial and ball possession before the late interception try which took Hawks beyond the 50 point mark.

President Morrison was particularly pleased with the help Cumnock received from Garnock, who interrupted their own preparations for an important season in RBS National League One to loan three players to their county neighbours - had one or two other Ayrshire sides perhaps been as co-operative, the score-line might have been a lot closer.

It was also good to see "Golden Oldie" Stuart Magorian in the centre for Cumnock. Stuart is now coaching in Glasgow, but he showed enough of the old touches to confirm his place as one of Cumnock's finest products over the past 50 years.

A good outing for the first team, who will be working hard to be ready for their first competitive game of the new season, on Saturday, 27 August, when they travel to Scotstoun to face Jordanhill Phoenix in the first round of the new RBS Glasgow Regional Bowl.

Looking further ahead, the Golden Jubilee Dinner on Friday, 18 November, is already shaping-up to be a sell-out. At the moment the furthest-travelled attendee is looking to be Gordon Leman, who will be coming home from Estonia for his first visit to his native Cumnock in almost 25-years., while one or two of the local exiles who are trying hard to civilise the Sudeten English in the London area are also venturing north for the occasion.

This article was posted on 8-Aug-2011, 16:56 by Hugh Barrow.