Gala 31 Glasgow Hawks 33

“It's like a rugby team. If you're picking for the World Cup final, you're picking experience with youth. Everything is better off having that balance and that mix. I think that, especially, goes for the monarchy as well.”
Prince William

For those who missed yesterday’s Scotsman preview of the two Cup semi-finals, it was focused on Ally Maclay and his return to cup action. One of the points which came out of the article was that at 30 years old, Maclay was the oldest player in the Hawks starting XV, indeed the starting 22.
Where our future King is wrong (Sorry your Royal Highness) is that it ain’t necessarily so, Glasgow Hawks, 2014 edition, have shown that youth and determination do not need experience to win and overcome the odds.
There was little edginess in the tie as both sides set out their stalls and went to win the match. Gala were a forces to behold early on and looked every inch the side which had made the running in the league only falling at the final hurdle. Gala took the initiative in the opening minutes as Euan Dods went over in 4 minutes for the opening try with David O’Hagan adding the extras, Hawks commitment to open play seemed misjudged. (7-0)
Yet whilst Gala seemed rampant they were also sloppy and Hawks’ eye to the opportunity had the ball intercepted shortly afterwards and Gavin Lowe ran all of 50 metres to open the visitors account, Jack Steele then tied the scores and balance was restored to the scoreboards. (7-7)
Gala continued to dominate the play but the 15 minute penalty by O’Hagan seemed a poor reward for their efforts. (10-7)
It fell to Haddon “The Punisher” McPherson to make Gala rue this failure when as sharp as a tack and almost as fast as Flash he chased a ball into the in-goal for Hawks’ 2nd try as he beat the home cover. With Steele adding the conversion Hawks had a 4 point lead. (10-14)
The lead was short lived as Gala pressed the Hawks defence. They found themselves with an attacking scrum in the corner at the football ground end. Then something happened which has rarely if ever been seen this season, the Hawks pack were pushed backward allowing Dods to drop on the ball for his second try. Again O’Hagan converted and Gala were back ahead. (17-14)
When Hawks backs were able to get the ball they were devastating, Dan Smart, playing at full-back, handed the advantage to Hawks as he went over in 26th minute which brought the crowd to the edge of their seats. (17-19)
What at the time seemed to be the game changer in 32 minutes as Andy Linton received a yellow card, largely due to the immediate score. As to Linton’s binning, well it was probably deserved, what was a surprise was that the “Braw Lad” who had instigated the process didn’t keep the big Ulsterman for 10 minutes.
From the penalty Gala put the ball into touch and from the lineout they caught and drove the ball before veteran Lock, Opeta Palepoi flopped, athletically, over the line for the score, again converted by O’Hagan. (24-19)
There was a fear that Hawks would now be put the sword by the Borderers, but the Glasgow defensive effort was huge. Everyone deserves a mention but Steele and Ally Maclay were fierce in the mid-field and Paddy Boyer was like “un chien terrier” around the fringes.
Numbers were restored when Linton returned to the field in the first minute of the 2nd half . As they pressed Hawks. After a number of recycles, Dods put O’Hagan in for the try which he then converted, the lead was now, 12 points and in such a tight contest seemed to offer Hawks little chance of recovery. (31-19)
Despite Mateusz Bartoszek going over for a try in 50 minutes, which closed the gap to 7 points after a well-executed lineout and a few recycles, there was a feeling that Hawk s were just a wee bit short of the win. (31-24)
Then, slowly, imperceptibly the momentum changed. It changed in a way that only hindsight would notice. A scrum, a hard and brutal scrum, saw the side that had conceded a pushover trial mangled their opponents forcing a penalty. Steele stepped up and punished Gala from about 40 metres. (31-27)
So then kick-off happened, Hawks received the ball and ground themselves into Gala’s half. In an almost identical position Hawks were awarded a scrum and, in almost identical fashion, they put the Gala pack under tremendous pressure. Then, in almost identical circumstances, Steele slotted over the penalty to make the score 31-30.
!8 minutes to go and both sides were at it hammer and tongs, with a couple of minutes left, O’Hagan missed a penalty to kill the tie and Hawks sniffed blood.
The scoreboard suggested it was a done deal. Hawks were awarded a penalty in side their own half, which Boyer tapped and ran with in a sharp heads up play. Then, “with a fine disregard for the rules of the game”, Gala could not resist tackling him before they had retreated. Another penalty 2 metre inside Gala’s half. Steele stepped up, placed the tee on the pitch and then angled the ball. He stepped back, two paces and then kicked the leather off the pill launching toward the goal and glory. Hawks were in the Final, for the first time since 2007. (31-33)
Generation Hawks are in the Final, they have worked and earned their place in the final and in 80 minutes of rugby, they can prove the adage that you “can’t win anything with kids” to be false…
Deep in my heart,
I do believe,
We shall overcome some day…

This article was posted on 30-Mar-2014, 16:24 by Hugh Barrow.