Hawick Albion fixture vs Biggar 25/10/09
Edin+District League fixture away to Biggar at U16 level.
Weather was pretty awful at Biggar and the game was moved to pitch at showground due to waterlogging at the rugby club.
The wind & rain was coming across the pitch which made conditions difficult for both teams.
However the Albion started very strongly and good handling resulted in 3 tries & 2 conversions in the first 10 minutes and a healthy 19-0 lead. At times the handling and commitment was very good and in the remainder of the half a further 4 tries & 3 cons .
Biggar had their moments and were several times close to going over but had no cutting edge.
Half-time score 45-0
The second half was error strewn and we more or less came down to their level.
This also resulted in bringing Biggar more into the game and on territory & pressure they probably deserved a score but they even managed to drop
the ball when crossing the line.
We did however manage to score a further 2 converted tries to round off a 59-0 victory.
Not a great display but a victory in very difficult conditions
The cup of soup in the clubhouse after the game was most welcome.
Try Scorers - J Parker 6
D Henderson 2
F Hislop 1
Conversions A Reilly 3
J Parker 3
L Tait 1
James as ever ran well and there were a couple of good runs by C Matear & A Burney
Musselburgh: 20/09/09, National Cup match.
43-5 to Musselburgh.
Match reporter posted missing on the day! End result= beaten by a highly competitive and well drilled side. Backs carved through from start to finish. Impressive to watch, even from a Hawick perspective. The boys stuck in and tried hard. Lesson: they were good, learn from it.
Albion v Selkirk 21/10/09 at Philiphaugh, Selkirk.
Selkirk started by far the stronger with forwards working well as a unit and Nos 10 and 15 causing constant problems for the Hawick team. With 2 knock-ons over the Hawick line in the same period it was possibly only a matter of time before the home side started the scoring. From a ruck 10m out from the Hawick line, the Selkirk No 10 saw space on the blind side and crossed for an unconverted try.
Hawick managed to stay in the Selkirk half for a short space of time but did not pose any serious threat to the Selkirk try line. Not long after Hawick found themselves back in their own territory with a scrum just outside their own 22. The ball was not delivered well from the scrum to Rory Graham at scrum half who managed to get the back line moving and with some welcome direct running and crisp handling especially from Dougie Aitken on the right wing to James Parker, Parker was launched on a typically aggressive run up the right touch line which ended a fantastic solo effort with a try which he also converted. However, the lead was not long lived as Hawick found themselves stretched out wide as Selkirk recycled several phases of ball to allow some simple but very effective passing to put the winger in on the left hand side for another unconverted score. After some re-arranging of the pack due to injury, the visitors settled into a more controlled period of play. The next score was from the Hawick by way of a solid scrummage by the pack allowing No8 Andrew Birney to pick and score 8m out from the home try line. James Parker added the conversion which ended the first half 14-10 to Hawick.
The second half continued in the same close manner. The Selkirk pack seemed to be more cohesive than the visitors when moving forward but some solid tackling around the fringes, especially by Andrew Birney, Scott Anderson and Callum Simpson with some good pressure from other forwards such as Craig Kyle kept Hawick well in the hunt. The Selkirk back line always promised more than Hawick as a unit but again some last ditch tackling from Matthew Wilkinson and James Parker contained the attacks. Hawick found themselves with a penalty opportunity which James Parker came very close with from the Selkirk 10m line but it was Selkirk who managed to score first which was largely from ill disciplined play from the Hawick boys allowing a series of penalties to put the home side in a scoring position. This time the try was converted. From the re-start the Hawick forwards competed well and from a few phases of Hawick pressure they ended up with the home side clearing from a 22 drop out from which the ball was fielded by James Parker who aimed for the corner and showed his undoubted class by scoring just short of the posts. Aidan Reilly converted to put the visitors back in front 19-17. Unfortunately for the Hawick team the last quarter was a combination of injury and disappointment. James Parker and Jason Hart came off injured while a well drilled Selkirk side put 3 more tries passed a willing but outclassed Hawick side to bring the final score to 34-19.
Note from the dug out: TEAMWORK. Good players will always be good palyers but nobody is greater than the whole. If you play like a team you are more likely to win like a team, and it feels a damn site better even if you don’t!
U16 Border League game against Jed at Riverside 7 Oct 09
After a torrid first 10-15 mins where the Jed team were all over them like a rash and while the Jed boys thoroughly deserved to go ahead with a try the refs lack of policing of the offside line put added pressure on our half backs which did not help. The forwards matched up well while the Jed backs seemed bigger, faster and stronger. However, the boys did not let the heads drop and dug in. I put Connor Brunton at 10 as Darren Henderson who has been starting there was ill. I have been keen to give several backs a chance to come more into the limelight to see how they enjoy getting more involved in the game as well as how they cope under more pressure and this was a great opportunity to do so. Connor fronted up well, Callum mentioned on the way home how well Connor had coped and that perhaps he looked like he might do well there! Praise indeed for the selection committee!! While mistakes were made and tackles missed, the backs worked as a unit much more than in some previous encounters which was my main plus from the sideline. Sean Huggan was at outside centre and received a knock to his knee half way through the first half so came off allowing James Parker to come on (he had injured his finger during warm up and was far from comfortable) to full back and Scott Glendinning moved from full back to centre. James did not take long to impress and was soon cantering in a huge arc up the park to score. Great to see but a solo effort. However, what it did do was spark the Hawick flame and not long after he did much the same but was caught by the covering defence but managed to off load to Dougie Aitken who cut back inside and there followed some top level interpassing which ended with Jamie Hamilton scoring from a move which started not much short of their own 22. Jed scored again and the half time score was 14-10 to the Hawick boys. Aidan Reilly kicking both conversions.
Not long after half time Hawick were awarded a penalty just outside the Jed 22 to the left of the pitch which Aidan neatly slotted over extending the Hawick lead. Jason Hart had come on at half time for James Parker and he is the most annoying person in the world for the opposition to catch, I think he could do a side step on a 10p piece! He can be accused of over doing the jinky runs but he managed to combine some elusive running with some very effective kicks into space. In fact it was from a kick through that the next Hawick points came from, Jason and Andrew Birney putting a lot of pressure on the defence which allowed Jason to scamper through and touch down. The boys said after it was in the dead ball area but heho, you win some and you lose some;-) Jed brought some of their bigger backs back on later on in the 2nd half and some strong running down the left wing clawed back 5 points but that was the final score when the whistle blew: 24-15. A very exciting match and well won by the 20 boys who took part.
Its hard to pick out players in a game like tonight as nobody let themselves down. Here’s a run down:
15: Scott Glendinning- says he doesn’t know how to play full back, I beg to differ. He was outstanding in defence and cleared well with the boot.
James Parker- outstanding athlete that is showing he understands the fact that rugby is a true team sport. Other players play better when he is around.
Jason Hart- reminds me of Gary Parker, small and very annoying if you are trying to catch him.
14: Jamie Hamilton- slow start but came onto a good game scoring a super try.
Lewis Anderson- steady game to start with, became more involved as game went on.
13: Sean Huggan- enjoying not being in the pressure No10 shirt, still the player’s captain, good game.
Scott Glendinning- reminds me of me, not in ability as he’s twice as fast as I ever was but in temperament, takes a lot to wind him up sometimes, tonight he got wound up – gee that is great to see!
12: Lewis Anderson- aa.
Connor Brunton- see below
11: Dougie Aitken- enthusiastic performance showing some great pressure following kick and chase movements.
10: Connor Brunton- possibly a bit of a find at 10. Great golfer, might be able to harness some of that steady head for rugby at No10. Difficult first 10 mins as mentioned but didn’t lose the will to keep trying and came onto a good game. Defence solid. Mmmmmmm, food for thought?
Aidan Reilly- No10 shirt at half time. Maybe thinks a little too much sometimes but definitely a playmaker. Great boot if not overused.
9: Rory Graham- hard worker, tackles anything, most of the passes went to hand, including the ones with Jack Fraser on his back!
8: Andrew Birney- one of the strongest players in the team as well as one of the quickest, also one of the biggest challenges! Andrew has enormous ability on a rugby field; however it can be difficult to decide where he is sometimes, even when he is speaking to you 2ft away. Played well tonight in the tight as well as open play.
7: Craig Kyle- Outstanding. Tackled offensively, work rate enormous, glad he’s back to his best (for now, keep up the strength+conditioning).
6: Darren Fisher- often one I have seen more in than he produces but produced well tonight, some great ball carries as well as improved defensive skills. Also played No8+No2.
Liam Tait- came on in 2nd half. Gets involved well.
5: Nikki Hay- Outstanding. Competed for every ball that came near him especially kick offs and in open play, tackled well and worked from start to finish.
4: Jack Wilson- good overall performance, great competitor in the lineout.
3: Scott Anderson- another good day at the office, reminds me of Andrew “Rip” Redpath, has an uncanny knack of going into a pile up and coming out with the ball. Also played flanker this evening.
LIeuan Elliot- Came on at flanker towards end of 1st half, then 3/4s of 2nd half at No3. Solid performance in the scrum, tackled well.
2: Aidan Reilly- very useful fella, can play most positions on the park!
Darren Fisher- aa.
1. Callum Simpson- what a hot head! A referee’s nightmare. Not sure about his gene pool, must come from his mother’s side. If he channelled his frustration as well as his aggression into the game he could be outstanding too;-) Also played hooker tonight for a spell.
Hawick Albion U16 vs Dalkeith/Penicuik U16 (Edin + District League fixture) 13/9/09
Final score: 54-5 to the Albion. Sorry for the lack of a match report but as Ewan Simpson had to referee the game (due to John Peffers getting held up at the BGH with his son Scott who broke his hand the day before) not many reliable notes were taken! But a wins a win and makes for a good start to the season.
Hawick Albion U16 vs Linlithgow U16 (Edin + District League fixture) 13/9/09
We travelled to Linlithgow for our second league fixture of the season with a squad depleted of 7 of our regular players due to a mixture of work experience placements, injury and illness however we did have the benefit of 3 boys from the U15 squad who stepped up to this level and showed just how much strength and depth there is in the U15 age group in Hawick. Gavin Blair, Matthew Douglas and Robbie McFarlane all played a significant part in what was a structured and well deserved win against a bigger Linlithgow team.
It was not long after the game started that Matthew Douglas showed his class by calling for a short pop pass from Connor Brunton at inside centre which unfortunately was adjudged forward by the referee. Had this not been the case then Mattie’s angle of run would have opened up the home defence and a try would have been on. The Albion boys had recovered from the bus trip much better than some of last season’s away fixtures and they exerted a lot of pressure on what was a much bigger home pack. This lead to a strike against the head for the visitors at a scrum on the Linlithgow 22 from which Jason Hart broke from scrum half and jinked his way over for the first points of the game. Soon after the re-start the Albion pack secured another good scrum from which Andrew Birney picked up from No8 and broke to feed Rory Graham on the left wing who crossed for try No2. The restart was taken well by Callum Simpson who took off on a 40m run that was only stopped by some good cover defence from the home side but the Albion kept possession and from the ensuing ruck there was some crisp passing to allow Lewis Anderson (full back) to score on the right wing. The Albion boys never let Linlithgow get into gear at all in the first half and with or without the ball they worked hard. Up front Scott Niblo took responsibility without question and played well at flanker and prop with some good ball carries as well some powerful tackling while Craig Kyle’s work rate at flanker was second to none. Behind the pack Darren Henderson marshalled the troops well from stand off and Connor Brunton typified the Albion defence with some outstanding tackling. Try No4 came from another piece of quick thinking from Matthew Douglas who chipped a cross kick over the defence which Lewis Anderson won the race for to score his second try. The final score of the first half was a bit of an all forward affair. From a Linlithgow lineout deep in their own half the Albion turned over a ruck and when the ball was released Andrew Birney was at stand off from which there was only really one outcome: try No5. Half time score 25-0 to the Albion.
In the second half Linlithgow managed to take more of a hold of the game with the bigger pack taking advantage of some enforced changes to the Albion pack. Fergus Hislop came off with a neck strain and Craig Kyle moved to hooker while Andrew Birney came off with a shoulder strain and Liam Tait and Gavin Blair came on in the back row. Changes were also required in the back line as Matthew Douglas came off with a calf injury and Rory Graham strained his hip/back and these were replaced by Robbie McFarlane (at scrum half with Jason Hart moving to centre) and Andrew Birney (who came back on at wing). The changes were disruptive to the flow of the Albion game but no discredit to the players who came on or changed position. Although there was less scoring and the game became a bit more scrappy, the positives were that Linlithgow did not score despite having more of the ball, Robbie McFarlane’s delivery at scrum half was crisp and accurate and Gavin Blair’s ability to appear at all the right times in attack and defence. The disruption was compounded when a scrum collapsed in the Linlithgow 22 causing a stoppage for injuries to both a Linlithgow prop and Craig Kyle at hooker. Both team coaches agreed on uncontested scrums for the final 8 minutes of the game. The final points of the match came from a solo effort from Scott Glendinning on the right wing. Following an Albion scrum just outside the Linlithgow 22 on the right hand side of the pitch, Scott came off his wing and carved his way through a weary home defence to bring the final score to 30-0 in favour of the Albion.
