On a bright, but breezy, day at New Anniesland, this scribe got confused, it appeared HillJills & Whitecraigs were preparing to step out onto the hallowed turf. The answer was found as HillJills are playing some of their “home” fixtures at New Anniesland due to the redevelopment works currently underway at Hughenden.
 
Your scribe found his way to the legendary “curling pond” to watch Accies 2nd XV take on HillJills 2A’s to be greeted by the reassuring smiles of Nigel Campbell & Chas Afakuwah and also Scot Chassells – brother of 2nd XV Captain, Ross and former stand off for Accies – up for the weekend from his high flying job in London at “Innocent Smoothies” (send a couple of cases of product to the club Scot for this shameless plug!)
 
Effectively a “scratch” side, pulled together at the last minute due to 6 call offs from the 1st XV but not lacking in experience as Matteo Giovannazzi (of Glasgow Restaurant fame – too many to mention), Simon Cadwallader (“fresh” from 3 years work in Korea) & Fraser Cameron (our man at Waitrose, Byers Rd) pulled on the shirt in the pack. They started into the strong breeze and found it, initially, tough going as players worked out their roles etc as they went along, and inevitably HillJills had the better of the first half, with a “chunky looking pack” scoring two tries to one by half time and their fullback running rampant as loose Accies kicks were gobbled up and run straight back to telling effect, someone get the boys’ number… he was easily the best player on the pitch by half time…. 5 – 13 to HillJills.
 
As often happens in rugby the weather has an effect and it was no different today as Accies played the second half with the wind and the sun, on their backs and promptly romped up 27 points in the second half as the team gelled and also good use of the boot from Carl Bates at stand off to “pin” HillJills back into the bottom corner for most of the second half.
 
Pick of the day: Carl Bates doing a rugby league style cross-field kick for the flying wing Chris Johnson to catch and fall over the line. (It genuinely was like something off the TV!, albeit in slow motion…)
 
Accies Try scorers: Ross Chassells x 2, Ian Williamson, Chris Johnson, Carl Bates and Kerr Wright. On a day when the Walker family were dominating the headlines in the 1st XV, Kerr nicked in to land a try and continue the Wright family’s huge contribution to Accies with Kerr, the third brother to take the club colours and score a try to boot!
 
Full Time: Accies 2nd XV 40 – HillJills 2A’s 13
 
Final thoughts: if you are unable to follow the 1st’s to the far flung corners, then come down and watch the 2nd’s, they’re playing entertaining, try scoring, winning rugby and would really appreciate your support and this scribe thinks that with the right coaching, there’s at least a couple of 1st XV players in the waiting.
 
 
 
 

This article was posted on 25-Sep-2011, 06:11 by Hugh Barrow.