Match Report: Glasgow Hawks 2nd XV 19 Stirling County 2nd XV 57
Saturday, 30th November
Venue: Nethercraigs
The eagerly anticipated clash between Glasgow Hawks 2nd XV and Stirling County 2nd XV didn’t live up to expectations for Hawks, on a windy November afternoon at Nethercraigs. Both teams entered the match with impressive records this season, with Hawks in second place and Stirling just behind in fourth, separated by a mere three match points. However, Stirling had the advantage of having played one game fewer, adding to the intrigue of this encounter.
The last meeting between these two sides on 5th October at Bridgehaugh had been a thrilling spectacle, with Stirling narrowly edging out the Hawks in a dramatic 41-39 victory. Both teams had clearly marked this match on their calendars as an opportunity to assert themselves in the league standings and build momentum.
On arrival at Nethercraigs Hawks players were greeted with the news that there were several team changes from, what had looked like a strong team selection. Powerful and highly experienced No.8 Sebastian Hastings and regular scrum-half Howie Roxburgh had been injured at the Thursday night training session, and two Oban-based players had withdrawn, prop forward, Jack Johnston and 2nd row Neil Hugh MacKinnon one due to illness and as he was the driver the other had no means of transport to get to the ground by kick-off.To compound the problem Tiann Wright, who was on the bench was returning from a long term injury was restricted to 20 minutes playing time. Macfazzal Baig was promoted to the vacant prop position, and winger Louie Kesson moved into the pack with Joshua Johnston replaced him on the wing. Mark Barrowman, a coach who had retired stepped into the bench as the sole replacement.
Despite the early setback of playing against a stiff breeze, the Hawks made the most of their territorial advantage. They dominated the opening exchanges, keeping Stirling pinned in their own half thanks to a series of well-executed penalties that provided them with valuable field position. The forwards were particularly aggressive at the breakdown, ensuring their team remained on the front foot.
In the 12th minute, the Hawks’ patience paid off. A series of sharp, quick passes moved the ball fluidly across the field, and Nicholas Thomson, the centre, saw an opening in the Stirling defence. With a deft sidestep and a burst of pace, he exploited the gap and surged through to score a try under the posts. It was a well-executed piece of attacking play, showcasing the Hawks' ability to exploit the smallest of opportunities.
Fly-half Freddie Thompson, as calm as ever, slotted the conversion between the posts, extending the Hawks' lead to 7-0. The early try boosted the team's confidence, especially as they had weathered the challenge of playing into the wind. Stirling, however, weren’t to be dismissed so easily. They quickly regrouped and began to mount their own attack, but the Hawks' defence stood firm, with full-back Henry Lapslie covering well in the backfield, and the forwards continuing to disrupt at the breakdown. With the wind strengthening County pinned Hawks back into their own half and only desperate tackling kept them at bay.
Eventually, in the 20th minute, the dam burst and from that moment they never looked like losing this game. A break away from a set scrum on the 22 and slick handling by the backs lead to the first County converted try. From this stage County made very good use of the strong wind with excellent kicking that pushed Hawks back into their own half. Tries followed in the 27th minute, a penalty in the 36stth and in the final minute of the half, straight from a Hawks kick off, a try from a 60 metre burst by the catcher who was unchallenged before linking up with a team mate.
Half Time Hawks 7 Stirling County 22
At half-time, the key question was whether Stirling's lead would be enough, especially as they had play into a strong gale. The general consensus was that Hawks needed an early score and a significant improvement in defence to claw their way back into the match. Unfortunately, none of these suggestions were realized in the second half.
From the restart, Hawks' hopes were dashed when they conceded an early penalty, giving Stirling possession deep inside the 22. To make matters worse, Hawks' left-winger Joshua Johnston was shown a yellow card after attempting to intercept a pass, which led to a penalty and a try for Stirling, stretching their lead to 7-29.
As the breeze subsided, Hawks found themselves under pressure. They conceded eight consecutive penalties, almost all for infringements at the breakdown, which allowed Stirling to gain even more momentum. Stirling, now brimming with confidence, capitalised on the tiredness of the Hawks' players, who were unable to rotate due to a lack of substitutions.
Tries came in quick succession as Stirling took control, eventually building a dominant lead of 5-57.Hawks had little answer to their powerful running and slick handling which followed from a mass of possession from the dominant pack. With 10 minutes to play suddenly Hawks came to light and drawing strength from somewhere managed to score 2 tries by Jonah Hasting and JP Thomson in a frantic effort to get a try bonus but to no avail. The lack of replacements was a factor but Stirling County have to be congratulated on a powerful performance of quality rugby in the tricky wind conditions. We wish them well for the remainder of the season. Our thanks also go to referee Mr. George Pounder.