A stroll in the sun for hot Ayr
Cup semi was one way traffic
up to the semi- final that as far back as their previous league encounter with Hawks in the BT Premiership, when Ayr had again won comfortably 36- 7, the coaches had encouraged a cup tie mentality with a view to the knockout games which lay ahead after the league campaign.
And on Saturday it worked to great effect.
Ayr put the pressure on the visitors’ defence immediately, won a penalty which Frazier Climo contrived to miss, but redeemed that with a subtle chip through that just eluded Craig Gossman.
From the resultant lineout, Climo hit a crossfield kick of such precision that Danny McCluskey could have tied his laces and had a cup of tea such was the space the pin point accuracy of the kick afforded him.
Climo converted and the Ayr No10 was again on target with a penalty after the pack issued the warning that were about to stand no nonsense in some hefty midfield exchanges in which they didn’t come off second best.
Into the second quarter, the frustration of being hemmed inside their own half got to Hawks, an offence committed in front of the posts allowed Climo to add his second penalty and the game was rapidly slipping away from Hawks.
The paucity of their success was illustrated by the excitement which erupted when Hawks got into the Ayr half but that territorial opportunity was short lived as Climo hit a monster clearance then popped a penalty into the corner on the half hour mark.
The Ayr pack, with the back row of Blair MacPherson , Pete McCallum and Will Bordill rampant, surged on the Hawks line and when the ball was released right it whipped through Ross Curle and Archie Russell at bewildering speed to reach a grateful Grant Anderson who finished as he does so well.
At 18- 0 at the break, you knew it was all over since you don’t give Ayr that sort of start and come back ( very often!) and although Josh Henderson opened the Hawks account with a penalty, the margin was restored with another Climo penalty then with the final quarter approaching he completed a splendid afternoon’s work with a shimmy, sidestep, everything indeed short of a pirruette leaving the Hawks defence nowhere.
That was it, the Hawks try not even broaching the Ayr line but a consequence of an award straight from the Graeme Wells book of steals – immediate yellow card, penalty try, seven points.
I couldn’t help thing about Wayne Barnes in Paris at the end of the France v Wales game last week. Ho hum, so it goes.