Glasgow Hawks 16 Hawick 16

Hawick always seem to play well when they visit Old Anniesland and this game was no different. With 10 minutes remaining Hawks led by 16-8 and seemed set for their 7th victory of the campaign but Hawick had other ideas and scored a try in the left hand corner closely followed by a long range penalty to tie the scores. The latter score seemed most unlikely as they had previously squandered 3 very kickable chances earlier in the match.
In the final analysis a draw was probably a fair result in this evenly contested game played in front a decent sized crowd, considering it was the schools half term holiday.
Hawks got the better of the first half exchanges despite Hawick scoring first in the 15th minute through a penalty by full back Neil Renwick.
Hawks response was immediate and incisive. No.8 Ross Miller picked up from the base of the scum in midfield and fed Haddon Mcpherson, the little scrum half made ground before releasing Tony Herron on the wing who in turn gave a delightful inside pass to new full back James Gormley who had timed his run to perfection and the Ulsterman finished it off with a clean thrust through to the line. Mike Adamson knocked over the conversion and Hawks led by 7-3.
This was as good a try as seen at Old Anniesland very many a season.
Hawks had their tails up and stormed back to the Hawick 22. In the 29th minute the crowd thought that they had scored again when after a series of passes Tony Herron touched down in the corner. The referee said that there had been a forward pass and awarded Hawks a penalty for a Hawick offside at the start of the move. Mike Adamson slotted it and Hawks moved out to 10-3.
The ding dong affair continued throughout the half and in the 32nd minute the Hawick no.13 Lee Armstrong, who was a thorn in the flesh to Hawks midfield all afternoon, made a break through the centre of the field and sent the ball wide to his right winger Scott McLeod who had the pace to reach the line. 13-8
Half Time
Hawks deserved their lead as their forwards had been on top and provided a stream of good ball.
Hawick had benefited from the half time break and put Hawks under pressure for the third quarter. During this period Hawick missed 2 kickable penalties but the Hawks defence had been superb and although they had the territorial advantage Hawick rarely looked like scoring a try.
At the start of the final quarter Hawks came right back onto the attack and after a sustained period of offence Hawick conceded a penalty in front of the posts that Mike Adamson duly converted 16-8. Hawks should have finished it off but a couple of errors proved to be costly.
Hawick stepped up the pace and Hawks conceded a number of penalties to give them a position in the Hawks half. From one of these they managed to run the ball left and outnumbered the Hawks defence to score in the corner through Steven Anderson who got the touchdown. 16-13
Finally in the dying minutes Hawick were awarded another penalty just inside the Hawks half and full back Neil Renwick converted with a huge kick to tie the game up.
Both sides will be disappointed to have dropped 2 points but it fairness it could just as easily have gone either way.
As a result of this draw Watsonians jump above Hawks in the table and lead by 2 points. Hawick are third 8 points behind Hawks. It is still all to play for.
Next Saturday Hawks travel along Great Western Road to play Hillhead/Jordanhill at Hughenden and will hope to get back on the winning trail.

This article was posted on 14-Oct-2012, 09:41 by Hugh Barrow.