Late surge keeps County in front
Stirling County bounced back in the second half to defeat Hawick and keep up their unbeaten start to the BT Premiership campaign.
Having won at Heriot’s in round one, the hosts were on a high heading into this one at Bridgehaugh, but injuries to some key players including Kerr Gossman, Craig Pringle and Bruce Sorbie had forced a number of changes to the backline, and they trailed 22-13 at the break.
However, two tries in the first six minutes of the second half gave County momentum and they never looked back, securing the bonus point victory.
“I thought in the first half we were a bit sluggish at times, having gone 13-5 up we should have taken things on, but we let Hawick back into it,” said County player/coach Peter Jericevich.
“In the second half we scored two cracking tries early on and then played at the tempo we want to.
“Given the number of changes we had to make and the fact that someone like Owen Jarvie had to step up and start and do a great job having missed most pre-season I am pleased with the result.”
Hawick got off to the perfect start when they scored an unconverted try after just two minutes from stand-off Ali Weir.
Six minutes later the visitors were down to 14 men when winger Lewis Ferguson was yellow-carded when County were in a good attacking area and while he was off, County skipper Jonny Hope kicked two penalties and converted Lewis Trotter’s try.
Ferguson returned and Weir’s penalty cut the deficit to five before a try for Hawick full-back Tom Brown and a Weir conversion made it 15-13 to the Greens.
A third Hawick try followed – and it stemmed from a County attack.
The hosts were on the front foot on the Hawick 22 but visiting centre Lee Armstrong read a pass from the base of a ruck and intercepted, running 60 metres up the right wing.
He was covered by Trotter, but an inside pass saw winger Ross Combe over for the try.
Weir converted to make it 22-13 at the interval.
At the break Hawick made three changes in the pack but rather than freshen them up it was County who came out of the blocks flying.
Four minutes in they scored their second try through Callum Hunter-Hill, converted by Hope, and with their tails up they scored the try of the day two minutes later.
Andrew Grant-Suttie did some great work to take the ball up the touchline.
He then fed Ruaridh Leishman, who in turn passed to Matt Lamb, before the scoring pass to replacement Matt Emmison, who went in under the posts. Hope converted and it was 30-22.
Hawick earned their bonus point fourth try in the 56th minute from replacement hooker Matt Carryer and Weir kicked a good conversion to make it a one-point match at 30-29.
A big last 20 minutes was needed – and it was County who delivered.
Emmison scored his second try - this time unconverted - then with seven minutes to go Trotter got his second. Ruairidh Leishman and hooker Reyner Kennedy, back on for Emmison, put the icing on the cake with two tries, both converted by Hope to finish things at 56-29.
Stirling County: Hope; Trotter, Jarvie, Gilliland, Lamb; Bonar, Jericevich; Macdonald, Kennedy, Nicol, HunterHill, Pow, Grant-Suttie, MacDonald, Leishman. Subs used: Emmison, Chies, Beech, Montgomery, Swan.
Hawick: Brown; Combe, Armstrong, Buckley, Ferguson; Weir, Munro; Little, Renwick, Bryce, Hamilton, Redpath, G Graham, Davies, McNeil. Subs used: Carryer, Muir, S Graham, Cottrell, Brunton.
On Saturday County visit Myreside to meet Watsonians, currently sitting in bottom place.
Thanks to match sponsors Vimto, to County sponsors United Auctions and all those who support the club.