Ayr Rugby Club crash to Hawks

Sep 24 2010 by Mike WIlson, Ayrshire Post (main ed)

IT would be unfair to put one of the good citizens of Glasgow G12 into the same category as those making outrageous sporting statements last week.

“That is the worst game I have seen for years”, harrumphed the Hawks supporter which would suggest one of two things.

Firstly, that he doesn't see much rugby, which I doubt, but much more likely, his expectation and that of most followers of Scottish Premier One rugby had been increased considerably over the past few seasons.

It is easy, therefore, to make a positive out of the disgruntled Hawks fan's feelings, that being that the standard of rugby on display week in week out is of a very high standard indeed.

There is no doubt that Saturday’s clash between Hawks and Ayr was not the most riveting of their recent encounters but it had moments of brilliance.

Yes, Ayr could have pinched it yet again but this time they were let down by their hands, their confidence and by a Hawks team which was busting gut to get a win which has been denied them and coach Peter Wright far too long for his liking.

It was a stop start game, stopped initially for a spell after 10 minutes by referee Johan van der Merwe before he limped off with a twisted ankle. The action got no momentum in his absence due in no small measure to the replacement official pinging both sides with monotonous regularity.

Hawks had the wind and the domination in the first half and Mike Adamson, who will shortly join Ayr's Scott Forrest on a plane to Delhi when they will represent Scotland in the sevens squad at the Commonwealth Games, slotted a couple of penalties.

But they hardly represented the way in which the home side bossed the first half and it took until the 40th minute before one of their numerous breaks led to the opening try, Kerr Gossman coming of his own wing to cause havoc on the opposite side and put brother Craig over.

Ayr hit back straight away and before the half time whistle had muscled their way up to the Hawks line, just close enough for Damien Kelly to crash over from his favourite distance.

Ayr should have taken much greater advantage with the wind in their favour but with both packs slugging it out, not a lot happened apart from an exchange of penalties between Ross Curle and Adamson until with ten minutes to go, Craig Gossman shredded the defence to put Joffy White over for Hawks second try.

Ayr were still unable to unpick the Hawks defence until the final minutes and when Scott Nimmo went over for Curle to convert, Ayr had salvaged a bonus point which was about as much as their flat and uninspired effort deserved.

Coach Kenny Murray admitted: "We were second in almost every area of the game and that is by far out worst performance of the season so we have to be thankful that at least we came away with a bonus point."

Hawks coach Peter Wright added: "It was not a particularly good display by us but we were the better side and it would have been a major disappointment if we hadn't got the win against a team we have struggled to beat in the last three seasons after the way we showed more endeavour and played the better rugby."

Ayr Director of Rugby Jock Craig reckoned his team fell down in all departments and when they trailed 19-8 it was no more than they deserved.

He claimed: “We gave them the ball cheaply far too often and there seemed to a malaise about the side which resulted in the worst performance by the side for a long time."

Ayr now have to pick themselves up for the visit of Selkirk on Saturday and with the borderers flirting with the dreaded bottom four in the league – they are second bottom – they will be fired up for a win but Ayr should have some of those missing at Old Anniesland back in the fray.

Mark Stewart, Cammy Taylor and Mark Bennett were all missing from the backs and although Jamie Hunter came on late in the game he was nursing an ailment which has almost reached epidemic proportions at Millbrae – a hamstring problem.

That is what currently afflicts Mark Stewart and flanker Rob Colhoun had to come off against Hawks with the same problem so the squad was certainly thinner than usual. But everyone will have to be on top of their game against the Souters.

The defeat against Hawks drops Ayr to third but on Saturday second placed Hawks are at the Greenyards to face Melrose and leaders Boroughmuir go to Malleny Park to face a Currie outfit who picked up their first win of the season against Selkirk.

It’s tight at he top and if 'Muir take nothing from Currie and Hawks go down in the borders, a bonus point win for Murray's squad could bounce them back to the top by a point, making the following week’s trip to Meggetland to face Boroughmuir a tasty looking clash.