Cook takes full adavantage of Hawks' generous hospitality

Glasgow Hawks 8 Boroughmuir 33 Rugby friendships can extend to quite extraordinary lengths. That Sean Lineen was staying chez Hawks coach Fergus Wallace after this "friendly"contest bears testimony to such a notion.

Such hospitality was also extended onto the field of play by Wallace's Hawks, a chartitable home defence enabling the visiting Edinburgh side to establish a seven-point lead in as many minutes.

James Reilly was afforded room aplenty, sailing over following a swift move for the first of five tries registered by Lineen's troops.

In terms of tempo, the sides were poles apart. As the Hawks' opening passages beat toFanny Craddock's rhythms, Boroughmuir were all Jamie Oliver.

Impertinent, sharp, fast, and with their trademark loops and change of angles evident, their play really was pretty tasty."It was a crap game," admitted a forthright Lineen. "But at least we won this time, unlike the last time we were here."

Lineen was an exponent of the fundamentals as a player, a man keen to pass and run straight. It is a philosophy he's impressed on his team. Chris Capaldi's try was a superbexample of passing and supporting to engineer a passage over the line.

By contrast, Hawks were more direct in attack and bludgeoned up front early on with the youngsters, David MacNeil and George Oommem, particularly robust.

The home pack rucked well throughout, often in the comet-like wake created by Rory McKay's pacy lunges. Fitting it was, then, that McKay grabbed the late try that at least stuck some Hawks' points on the board.

Yet the home effort never consistently matched Boroughmuir's. The visitors' third try followed their usual pattern of confidence with ball in hand and running at pace. Ross Cook was the grateful recipient this time, scoring the first of his two tries.

On the plus side for Hawks, Steve Gordon policed Charlie Keenan, scrum-half Kenny Sinclair has real attacking capabilities and at no time did Wallace's inexperienced side shirk the issue.

With the wind behind them after the break, Boroughmuir slowed the pace of the game and kept matters in their own hands.

It was a canny piece of tactical experience and themajor difference between the two sides.

With holes bigger than those in Oliver's colander appearing in Hawks back line, Cook was on hand to run in Muir's fourth try with 20 minutes remaining.

Not content to let the back steal all the glory, Ally Davidson's break proved the platform for second-row Mark Sorensen to complete the rout.

With the game over as a contest, Hawks scored from a lineout. A trademark transfer of ball from target to intended location provided McKay, who never tired at second row, with the chance to dive over from close range.

But the overwhelming conclusion to be drawn was that Boroughmuir really ought to have won game with any matter in hand.

All in all, this was a reasonably tasty dish with a strange - aftertaste. More haggis than Lineen's offering.

Glasgow Hawks C Hodgkinson, J Adams, S Petrie, I Leighton, S Gordon, S Duffy,K Sinclair (Little 77mins), A Coulson (Malakoty 70mins), D McNeil, L McIntyre (Docherty 55mins), R McKay, S Hutton, S Bryce,R Maxton, G Oommen.

Boroughmuir R Cook (Seivewright 69mins),C Keenan, M Clapperton, L Graham, J Reilly,A Warnock, C Cusiter (Blair 51 mins),D Rutterford, D Cunningham, T McGhee (Christie 65 mins), M Sorensen, N Pike(A Davidson 40), C Capaldi, O Brown, N Bruce.

Referee G Davies (Fettesians/Lorretonians).

Copyright 2001
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