Glasgow Hawks 10 - 13 Currie: Slow start shaken off by Currie to claim cup spot

THIRD-PLACE play-offs, the games nobody wants, the ones even the players merely wish to get through; as they know, it's "only" for recognition as second-best of those that didn't win the main prize.

However, qualification for the British & Irish Cup meant that this untagged play-off was contested as fiercely as any cup final, with Currie putting aside three weeks of inactivity and conceding a ten-point start before overcoming their hosts to clinch that third B&I Cup spot next season.

Hawks lost, but showed that there is vibrant life in the club competition, the orphan child of Scottish rugby; and, if the rumours of a fourth spot in the B&I Cup come to fruition, they will be ready to give it a real go.

"Certainly those three places give the teams which qualify a major advantage when it comes to player recruitment," said Hawks' coach Peter Wright after the game.

"But I think we showed today, even though I was disappointed by our performance, that we have four good teams at the top of the league and that has to be good for Scottish Rugby.

"We needed to win, we came up short, but had we won it would have been daylight robbery. I'm still gutted at losing, but, given that in two years we've gone from relegation candidates to fourth place, we've made progress.

"We will go away, work over the summer and come back stronger and determined to maintain the club's progress."

The victorious Currie coach Ally Donaldson noted: "The British and Irish slot has been our target, and I'll take that.

"Our poor start to the season handicapped us, but we're unbeaten since the split and we found the playing in the B&I Cup this season a fantastic experience which we want to repeat. It gave us belief in ourselves.

"Today, we were rusty to begin with, but after Hawks' excellent start I felt we were in control. All credit to Hawks for the way they defended, we couldn't convert the chances we had."

Hawks' good start brought a Dean Kelbrick penalty as reward for scrummage pressure, then the Gossman brothers combined in a searing break from half-way, Kelbrick converting Craig's try.

Haydn Abercrombie got Currie going with a penalty and then, in first half injury time - with both sides down to 14 men after a spat which was more purses than "handbags", locks Rory Hamilton of Hawks and Ryan Watson of Currie being sin-binned - Ross Weston drove over from a line-out and Abercrombie levelled the match with the conversion.

The second half was almost all Currie, but all they had to show for their command of the match was an Abercrombie penalty mid-way through, while right at the death skipper Rory McKay got over the line for Hawks but failed to ground what would have been an undeserved winning try.

Scorers: Glasgow Hawks: Try: C Gossman. Con: Kelbrick: Penalty goal: Kelbrick. Currie: Try: Weston. Con: Abercrombie. Penalty goals: Abercrombie (2).Glasgow Hawks: C Gossman; K Gossman, Kelbrick, Preece, Murray (Low); Jericevich, K Hamilton; Smith, Milligan (Nyemba), Strain (Hunter), R Hamilton, Miller (Campbell), McKay, Karalius, Strang.

Currie: Brown; Turnbull, Abercrombie, McMahon, Johnston; Scott (Binkos), Snedden; Cox, Gillies (Walker) A Hamilton, Wilson, Adam, (Temple) Burton, Entwhistle, Weston.

Referee: A Macpherson.