Victory for staying power
Borderers fight back from the brink to retain their place in the top flight. Stuart Bathgate reports
THE spirit that made Hawick the nation’s first league champions and cup winners may have been in short supply at times this season, but it was back in abundance as they preserved their Premiership status with a hard-fought play-off win over Edinburgh Accies.
The Borders club looked to be down and out at 20-6 behind in Lasswade, especially as, having played their last league game in mid-February, they were some way short of optimal match fitness. But as bodies tired and space opened up, it was Accies who faltered.
That was in part because they were never going to be able to maintain their preferred tighter, more forward-dominated style of play for the whole 80 minutes. But also, as is so often the case in promotion/relegation play-offs, it is the team from the upper division who are used to toughing it out.
The aim for Hawick next season is to ensure they finish well clear of the second-bottom spot in the Premiership which consigned them to this match, while Accies’ ambition is to go one better than runners-up in National One and secure automatic promotion.
“We thought the game was gone when we were 14 points down,” Hawick coach Nikki Walker said, after his last game in charge. “But the boys showed real character to come back. To go that long without a game, they were a bit rusty. But I think they deserve it.”
Accies played the more controlled game in the first half, drawing penalties from a stretched Hawick defence. But the Borderers were more dangerous on the break, with Edinburgh signing Darcy Graham looking particularly lively.
Midway through the half, the full-back showed a clean pair of heels to half the Accies’ back division, but his kick inside was cleared. By then Hawick were 6-0 up thanks to two Lee Armstrong penalties, but they fell behind in the 25th minute.
Accies scrum-half Alexander Glashan had given fair warning of his threat with a dart that began an attack, so Hawick should have been smarter than to leave a gap close to the ruck several phases later, by which time they were back defending just inside their 22.
Glashan needed no second invitation, and dashed through to score between the posts. Ben Appleson converted, then, having missed two penalties, had better fortune with his third.
Accies reinforced their control in the early stages of the second half. Substitute Lawrie Seydak had been immense since coming on at No 8 and, after a series of scrums had edged ever closer to the Hawick line, he had a simple task to finish. Appleson’s conversion made it 20-6, pushing Hawick perilously close to falling out of the contest. But they hit back quickly with a John Coutts try which Armstrong converted, and the score inspired them to play with greater hunger and self-belief.
With plenty of time to play, it seemed a mistake when Hawick opted to run a penalty in the Accies 22, especially as they failed to score from the move.
When they made the same decision minutes later, however, they got it right, with captain Bruce McNeil taking a quick tap and forcing his way over the line.
Armstrong converted to level the
We thought the game was gone when we were 14 points down, but showed real character to come back. We were a bit rusty but I think we deserved the win
scores, and with a dozen minutes to play the game was back in the balance. Then, a few minutes from time, Armstrong put his team back in front with a third penalty.
“At 14 points down we knew they were going to come back at us,” said coach Derek O’Riordan. “They’re a Premiership side. It’s just experience.”
Edinburgh Accies: R Chalmers; M Coupar, P Loudon, W Stephen, J Peterson; B Appleson, A Glashan; J Pearse, C Black, C Lacour, N Aitken, S Gibson, G Campbell, J Sole, T Drennan. Substitutes: C Weetman, S Gunn, L Seydak, J Winks, M Love, N Armstrong, F Morrison.
Hawick: D Graham; J Coutts, L Armstrong, R Hutton, G Johnstone; K Brunton, B Campbell; B McNeil, F Renwick, N Little, K McNeil, D Lowrie, S Graham, R Gibson, K Davies. Substitutes: G Douglas, M Landels, D Johnstone, D Redpath, S Fairbairn M Douglas, S Anderson.
Referee: K Allen.