Published: Thursday, 7th August, 2008 08:30
Unstoppable Hawks swoop to PL 10s title
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Holders Haddington kicked off the Preston Lodge 10s Tournament against Trinity Accies on Saturday as lightning struck in the distance.
But it was to be Glasgow Hawks who would light up the afternoon with fast, attacking rugby in this curtain raiser to the new season.
Haddington squeezed past Trinity by 17-10 in the opening tie, despite giving up a 10–0 half-time lead.
It was a solo break from half way by stand-off Ross King, that allowed him to score the winning try under the posts.
Hawks dominated the Pool 1, though, by scoring 50, 56 and 57 points without loss against PL Helldogs, Trinity and Haddington respectively.
The Premier Division One team’s tournament had started with a minute’s silence in memory of former player Gordon Mackay, who died recently at just 39. Their rumbustious style of rugby was a fitting tribute to the big forward. However, it was their nippy back division, especially Gossman, Hare and Murray, who would be most effective, as they danced their way through opposing defences to rack up the points.
Haddington secured second place in the group with a 21-0 win over PL’s second string, The Helldogs.
Pool 2 was largely dominated by The Pigbarians - a charity team brought together by larger-than-life ex-PL player, Jimmy ‘The Pig’ Michie. The side was mainly made up of Watsonian players, who showed that they could play classy rugby with convincing victories over Musselburgh, Preston Lodge and Edinburgh University.
Preston Lodge conceded two early tries in their first game against Edinburgh University, but showed their mettle by scoring three in reply through debutant scrum half Andy Parkes, hooker Calum Wilson and second row Blair Cowan.
Musselburgh looked more convincing in beating the ‘Students’ by 50-0 to set-up a local derby against PL, which would decide the runners-up spot in the pool.
It was the hosts who scored first. Centre Jonathan Brash took a big hit in midfield, but still managed to set the ball up for Parkes to grab and dash through to score.
Unfortunately for the home support, that was to be their final effort of the afternoon and it was Musselburgh who would dominate the rest of the tie as they went on to win by 33-5.
The men from the Honest Toun could not provide any resistance against the unstoppable Hawks in the first semi-final as they went down by 33-0.
East Lothian’s other semi-finalists, Haddington, found the going equally tough as they lost 41-0 to The Pigbarians in the other semi.
Not surprisingly, with the two best teams in the tournament competing and Hawks yet to concede a point, the final was a closely-fought encounter with the lead changing hands three times throughout the game.
The ‘Pigs’, who were aptly kitted out in pink strips, took the lead with a good try. But the Hawks soon struck back with a converted effort of their own, after good work at the base of the scrum by Gossman.
The Glasgow outfit then extended their lead to 12-5, but the Pigbarians dominated the five-minute spells either side of half time and deservedly scored an excellent try that was converted to tie the scores.
It would take a good try to break the deadlock and it came from Hawks as they quickly moved the ball between their forwards and backs to create the space needed to set winger Sean Murray clear. He made no mistake to touch down and give his team a fully deserved victory.
Hawks’ scrum-half Craig Gossman was voted Player of the Tournament by the three referees.
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Students’ Friday night fun and frolics at PL