INSIDE TODAY
Ayr bidding to put Hawks in the shade
They say familiarity breeds contempt.
And while it would be wrong to suggest that Ayr hold Hawks in some disdain, their BT Cup semi- final opponents on Saturday at Millbrae have done little to dispel the notion that are decidedly second best in terms of the Glasgow District’s two representatives in the BT Premiership.
All of which is a bit strange since Hawks ended third in the BT Premiership table behind secondplaced Ayr, but therein hangs the gap — a monster 17 points separating them and only going to reinforce the opinion that top two, Ayr and Melrose, are again so far ahead as to be mere shadows on other clubs’ horizon.
The reason for that gap between Ayr and the Old Anniesland outfit becomes obvious when some simple stats are analysed — Ayr winning 15 out of 18 starts against Hawks’ 11, a points difference of plus 229 against plus 104.
So having devoted three paragraphs to why Ayr are second and Hawks are third, it should only remain to now supply details of the supporters’ bus arrangements for the Premiership play- off final on April 15 and the cup final at Murrayfield a week later. Well, no. Not quite. Sport isn’t like that — and particularly when it comes to cup ties and even more so when it comes to semi- finals.
Cast your mind back to last season when Melrose, with the top two Premiership roles reversed, travelled to Ayr on successive weeks to contest the semi- final of first the BT Cup then the semi- final Premiership play- off round.
They cuffed Ayr to book a place in the cup final then the following week were unable to withstand a superb display as the Millbrae men won to go into the play- off final.
If nothing else, those two results over a period of seven days shows how fickle sport can be and, with again the unusual scenario of the same teams playing at the same venue for two final spots, surely makes for some special thinking and planning?
Coach Calum Forrester said: “In terms of planning, the first thing is personnel so now we have the problem of cramming about 28 guys into 22 jerseys for the starting line- up and bench because we have a fully fit squad and everyone is desperate to play.
“There is no point in looking forward beyond Saturday because we all remember last season and we have to take each game individually and focus on that.”
Given the gap between the sides and the substantial wins Ayr have raked up over Hawks this season already, how does a coach prevent that feeling of complacency creeping in?
“When we played Hawks in the league a few weeks ago, they were close enough to us in the table to get ahead of us if results went their way.
“They are a better side than they showed on that day but we implemented a philosophy starting with that match.
“It was basically our end of season plan, which meant that although we still had league matches to go, we were going to approach them as though they were cup ties and effectively take us into knock- out mode.
“From then it was cup rugby we were playing — knockout stuff — and that is what we will continue to do going into the semi- finals and hopefully the finals.”
Now, I respect the fact that the sports editor of this blatt still speaks to me despite over the years having perhaps been none to accurate in my predictions regarding the fortunes of the Scottish international squad.
But I have to say I was disappointed that he failed to take up my advice of getting as good as odds possible on Scotland winning their three home internationals.
Their win over Italy at BT Mur rayfield clinched that prediction and despite missing the opportunity of cleaning up, it was nevertheless a huge pleasure to see Finn Russell, Gordon Reid, Ali Price and Mark Bennett, all of whom have graced the pink and black jersey, be part of the most successful Scottish squad of recent times.
It’s a big weekend for Ayr/ Wellington youths with two west regional cup finals.
On Saturday, the Under 18s are at home to Hamilton while on Sunday, the under 16s travel to play GHA.
Sunday also sees the ladies in action when they are away to RHC in the quarter- finals of the Sarah Beaney Cup.