Old stagers and young bucks send upwardly-mobile Falkirk over the Hills in cup

Published on Sunday 17 February 2008 21:38

Falkirk 17 - Hillhead-Jordanhill 12

THE Falkirk bandwagon rolls on with the National Division One club savouring an early taste of Premiership rugby as they ground out a hard-earned Scottish Cup victory.

Next season Falkirk will line up in Premiership Three having climbed an incredible five divisions in as many years. Among their opponents will almost certainly be Hillhead-Jordanhill who are likely to drop down from Premiership Two, just as they dropped out of the Cup on Saturday after falling to the home team's unique blend of grizzled experience and youthful verve.

It is the old guys who make the Falkirk team tick. But it's the younger guys who make them buzz. Former Scotland hooker Kevin McKenzie, now aged 40, is in the front row with Bill Faulds, a few years his senior behind him at lock. Kevin's 36-year-old brother Mark, a former Caledonian Reds and Bourgoin pro, is at stand-off.

The 30-something Bob Wylie directs operations as captain from the openside flank.

"We front up week-in and week-out. We have to make sure we move up a grade and we continue to do that," Wylie said as the Hills players trooped dejectedly off the pitch. "It was a big jump up for us today but we have got a team that performs regardless of the opposition.

"Going by this game, I can't see us winning every match next year. We have spent most of the season being a bonus point up by half-time, and in Premiership Three we are going to have to get used to the fact that we won't be scoring every time we get into the opposition's 22."

In fact, Falkirk were 17-5 up at half-time and looked to be cruising into the next round of the Cup. Mark McKenzie was on song, varying the play so that the Hills defence didn't know which way to turn, and ex-Watsonian Matt Morrell was causing havoc down the left wing every time he touched the ball.

Although Falkirk controlled the half, they had started out slowly. In fact, Hills scored first through a power play by their pack which won a five-metre lineout and allowed flanker Stuart Rose to roll off the side of the maul for the try.

Falkirk then cut out the over-elaboration and kept it simple. A quick tap penalty saw Kevin McKenzie barrel up the middle towards the posts, and when the recycled ball went wide, Wylie crossed the line with a three-man overlap outside him.

Morrell should have scored next but was penalised for a double movement after a last-ditch tackle by full-back Gus Twaddle in the corner.

Mark McKenzie added a penalty and Hills were briefly roused by a rampage from giant lock Duncan McCartney and a jinking run by Twaddle as he returned a kick almost as far as the line.

But Falkirk gradually increased the pressure, flinging the ball from one side of the field to the other in their trademark 100mph style, forcing the visitors back until a gap emerged and Morrell flew through it. McKenzie landed the conversion from the touchline.

Hills put the squeeze on at the start of the second half, using their forwards to win ball and gain territory but their backs just didn't carry the same threat.

Their tactics were dubious too, spurning chances to kick points from easy penalties inside the Falkirk 22 and going for the five-metre lineout instead. When they did choose to kick the next, even simpler, penalty, Dave Paterson sclaffed it wide.

Hills finally got their reward when Rose went under the posts for his second try and Twaddle converted to make it a five-point difference. Falkirk, so slick and smooth during the first 40 minutes, were fading rapidly and losing their composure.

They might have recovered it when Morrell streaked up the wing again but he slipped in the mud as he stepped inside with his man beaten, and the ankle injury he sustained was bad enough to have him replaced. Then Stuart McAllister's attempted drop goal fell short, and its unpredictable backwards bounce almost delivered a try.

Hills accepted the reprieve and turned the screw again but, despite being camped inside Falkirk's 22 for the final 10 minutes, couldn't make the breakthrough as the clock ran down.

Scorers: Falkirk: Tries: Wylie, Morrell. Cons: M McKenzie 2. Pen: M McKenzie. Hillhead-Jordanhill: Tries: Rose 2. Cons: Twaddle.

Falkirk: C Drake; C Harris, S McAllister, R Denham, M Morrell; M McKenzie, A Cameron; K Asham, K McKenzie, P Curry, B Cairns, W Faulds, C McAskill, C Ronald, R Wylie. Subs: D Edge, M Parsons, G Ronnay.

Hillhead-Jordanhill: G Twaddle; C Jubb, D Paterson, A Wright, A Jamieson; C McCulloch, D Armstrong; D Walker, S McMillan, G McConnachie, M Lane, D McCartney, S Rose, C Kerr, S Ross. Subs: N McCauly, D Wood, T Harding, R Harris.

Referee: N Paterson.