Date: Saturday, 8th January 2005
Kickoff time: 15:00
Against: Currie
Team: Hawks 1st XV
Location: Away
Competition: Premiership Division 1
Final score: 33 - 0 (won)

Hawks closed the gap on Heriots to one point with a 33-0 win over Currie at a windy Malleny Park today--match report from Iain Morrison in Scotland on Sunday Hawks survive nervous start IAIN MORRISON AT MALLENY PARK CURRIE 0 GLASGOW HAWKS 33 CURRIE had already claimed the scalp of league leaders Heriot’s and they fancied their chances of doing something similar when Hawks arrived at Malleny Park yesterday, surprisingly playable despite the recent deluge. Turning round at the break just two scores down, with the second-half elements in their favour, the home team had the chance to give the Champions a bloody nose but Hawks proved too strong, running out easy winners in the end, scoring five tries to nil in the process. "We were a little nervous at half-time," Hawks coach Peter Wright admitted. "I thought that that was a 24-point wind rather than a 14-point wind. But we are happy with our win and even more so with the performance. The guys haven’t played for about five weeks now so today could have been a banana skin for us. I said to the guys beforehand that this is now the business end of the season and that you have to come to places like Currie and win if you want the title." The visitor’s side boasted four players who train regularly with the Glasgow pro-team and they simply had too much muscle and experience for a young Currie team who nevertheless stuck to the task for the full 80 minutes. In the second half especially, Hawks proved relentless and in the end sheer exhaustion in the home ranks probably accounted for the two late scores, the first of which secured a bonus point for the visitors. It was too cold and wet to be a classic - the fact that it was played at all was something of a miracle - but a couple of first half punch ups suggested that the players were willing to try anything to put a little heat into the occasion. There were too many basic handling errors coming from both sides to see much continuity in the game, although it was impossible not to feel some sympathy for Hawks winger Kenny Baillie, who somehow managed to spill a stationary ball with the nearest opponent thirty yards away. He was promptly substituted for his trouble. At one point the sleet was coming down sideways and while the proposal to move to summer rugby may not have a snowball’s hope in hell of getting past the next Murrayfield custodians there were plenty in favour of better weather rugby at Malleny Park yesterday afternoon. In fact the players were probably the only warm ones in the ground. Both teams wasted early opportunities to take the lead with the two kickers, Murray Strang and Michael Ker, pushing efforts wide, the latter’s moving a good 20 yards sideways thanks to the force seven that blew into Currie face for the first half of the match. With the advantage of the elements, Hawks dominated the early part of the game and only some dreadful decision making from Steven Duffy prevented them taking advantage of a three-to-one overlap on the right flank. Still Glasgow apprentice Fergus Thomson saved his blushes by stepping out of some half-hearted tackles moments later and showing a rare turn of speed to win the race to the line. Some are talking up Thomson as the natural successor to Bulloch in the Scotland team and both hookers originated at West of Scotland if that is relevant. There was plenty of evidence to support Thomson’s claims as the successor-in-waiting yesterday as he scored two of his side’s five tries and proved almost impossible to halt with the ball in hand. Thomson is bigger than some of his nearest rivals, but athletic with it and, so his coaches say, not short of confidence. Shortly after his first score the hooker got back to make a try saving tackle on his opposite number Gavin Scott before the Currie hooker could make use of a rare attacking opportunity. The same player then emerged from a mass of Hawks bodies to claim his and his side’s second try after some good work from the Hawks forwards who drove a lineout across the home line. Thomson’s brace were all Hawks could manage, though, despite having spent the previous 40 minutes knocking on the Currie line. They started the second half doing exactly the same thing, but were given a fright when Kenny Sinclair’s pass found opposition winger Dougie Flockhart. The field opened up for him but the winger was called back for an offside offence and Hawks resumed normal service. Sinclair made amends for his previous mistake by making a textbook break in the Currie 22 and offloading to the ever-reliable Mark Sitch, who had the strength to get across the line. With a winning margin already achieved the match both sides appeared to settle for the status quo. Currie winger Flockhart had another chance of an interception, this one on the opposition 22, but he failed to hold onto the ball and the chance went west. Instead the visitors grabbed two late tries and a bonus point when Eric Milligan bulldozed his way over the line following a back row pick and drive from Sitch and Richard McKnight added a kick and rush effort in the closing stages. With Heriot’s losing to Biggar yesterday the ball is firmly back in Hawks’ court. They must now be firm favourites to win back-to-back titles. Currie: A Muir; K McShane, B Cairns, D Offficer, D Flockhart (G Moffat 15); M Ker, R Sneddon; C Quigley, G Scott (D Mason 68), S MacEwan (D Wilson 62), A Adam, A Slight, J Van Der Schyff, P Sullivan (B Morrison 25), D Baikie. Glasgow Hawks: C Shaw; W Henry, A Maclay, S Duffy, K Baillie (R McKnight 62); M Strang, K Sinclair; P Dalton (G Mories 70), F Thomson, E Milligan, S Begley (S Forrest 70), R Maxton, S Swindall, M McKenzie (G Francis, 70), M Sitch. Referee: David Jack (Madras) No team list has been added yet.

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