Breakdown area proves profitable for Hawks’ in-form back row

ABERDEEN GRAM 27 32

in the top flight off due to the poor weather, all eyes were on Rubislaw and after an end-toend match it was Andy Hill’s side who came out on top 32-27.

And it was the breakdown area where the Hawks were most impressive, Jackson, Christie and Sweeney winning a number of turnovers and generally causing Grammar issues in that area.

That meant that whenever

Aberdeen got a foothold in the game they were soon on the back foot again.

The home side got off to a good start, though, and Tom Aplin kicked a penalty to make it 3-0 in the 18th minute.

Dom Wallen scored a try in the 30th minute and, when Aplin converted, it took the score to 10-0.

Aberdeen’s Robin Cessford was then sin-binned for tripping a Hawks attacker and, while he was off the pitch, Hawks scored two tries, the first coming from Lyall Archer and the second from Max Priestly.

Liam Brims converted both of them to make it 14-10 at the break and a penalty by the same man in the early part of the second half made it 17-10 for Hawks.

A Tom Ryan converted try for Grammar made it 17-17 after 58 minutes before Brims and Aplin traded penalties to go to 20-20.

Sweeney and Priestly tries made it 32-20 to Hawks before a late Andrew Cook converted score gave Grammar a losing bonus point as they moved third.

The five points for Hawks leaves them sixth in the table, three points off the play-off places, and they will look to build on this result before Christmas.