Hawick remain rooted

Hawick’s dreadful start to their RBS Premier One season took another downward turn at Mansfield Park yesterday when the Greens’ great Borders rivals Gala ground out a workmanlike victory which they fully deserved.

On heavy ground in slippery conditions, a forwards’ war of attrition ensued, and though Hawick’s pack held their own in the scrummage, Gala’s forwards were better in the loose, especially in support play and defence, and the visitors’ backs were superior in every department.

It also doesn’t help to play a quarter of the game with 14 men, Danny Landels being sin-binned soon after he came on and Neil McColm shown a yellow card for the stamping which led to the final penalty that sealed Gala’s victory.

Referee Rob Dickson also sent Gala’s Chris Weir to the naughty boy’s corner for the final minutes after he blatantly killed the ball while Hawick were in front of Gala’s posts.

That penalty came too late for Hawick as they were chasing tries by then. None came, so perhaps they should have taken the three points to save themselves a second consecutive blank in the scoring department.

These are troubled times at Mansfield Park, so often the powerhouse of Borders and indeed Scottish rugby. Back in 1982, this fixture drew a crowd of 3,000 as both sides were title contenders, and names like Renwick, Deans, Leslie, Tomes, Dods, and Aitken all featured.

Just a few hundred watched yesterday’s match, and while it may be just a tad early to mention the R-word, Hawick’s only previous experience of relegation in 2009 must surely make them desperate not to repeat the drop.

The sad fact for Hawick, however, is that they are anchored to the bottom of Premier One, and on their first half showing they can kiss the top league goodbye.

Elementary mistakes and wrong options abounded among the green jerseys as Gala turned the screw from the start, Lee Millar opening the scoring with a penalty after 8 minutes.

Millar’s clever kicking from hand pushed Hawick back and with Gala captain Opeta Palepoi ruling the roost at the lineout, the home side just could not get a platform for attack.

There was plenty of effort and passion on the pitch, and Gala coach George Graham showed he had lost none of his vim with some tart words for the umpires and the opposition bench.

Gala’s back row punched holes in the Hawick defence after 20 minutes, and Alan Emond was on hand to finish the move for the only try of the match, which Millar could not convert.

Millar also missed a penalty before Hawick’s best attack of the half ended with a dropped pass just metres out.

Hawick were much better in the second half and a great deal of the 40 minutes was taken up with their battering-ram attempts to try and force their way upfield for a score.

Basic errors spoiled attack after attack, however, and the difference with the more streetwise Gala was that they took their opportunities.

Millar put them further ahead with a penalty after 67 minutes and with Landels in the sin-bin, McColm’s folly reduced his side to 13 men and 14 points down when spotted stamping on an opponent, Millar making no mistake from in front of goal.

Hawick tried manfully to score, but even though Weir was sin-binned they simply could not breach a stonewall Gala defence.

“The mood in the camp is pretty good and we are training well, but we made silly, silly mistakes,” said Bruce McNeil afterwards. “We need hard work and discipline, as we know we are in a dogfight for the rest of the season.”

That relegation dogfight starts for Hawick next weekend with a trip to their other great Borders rivals, Melrose. The Greens at the Greenyards? There really could be no better place to start a revival, and the once mighty Hawick really need one right now.

Scorers: Gala: Try: Emond. Pens: Millar 3.

Hawick: McColm; G. Anderson, Johnstone, Hogg, S. Anderson; Armstrong, Cottrell; Sutherland, Gibson, Linton, Willison, Robertson, MacTaggart, Davies, McNeil. Subs used: Landels, Turnbull, Scammell, Renwick, Keown.

Gala: Turner; Law, Auld, Emond, Robertson; Millar, George Graham; Bertram, Anderson, McQuillin, Weir, Palepoi, Gary Graham, Lowrie, Dods. Subs used: Marshall, McLean, Borthwick, Stewart, Keddie.

Referee: R Dickson.