Glasgow 20-18 Heriot’s: Visitors off the top

Hawks scrum-half Paddy Boyer scored a fine individual try. Picture: John Devlin

All four tries came from moments of individual brilliance, but there were other passages of mis-handling and poor decision-making which meant the match just failed to live up to the pre-match entertainment of an Iain Milne-John Beattie “double act” question-and-answer session in the clubhouse.

Hawks made the early running, but emerged empty-handed from the first ten minutes, spent entirely in the visitors’ half. However, Heriot’s promptly broke out for skipper Graham Wilson to open the scoring with a simple penalty.

But, as the clock ticked over into the 20th minute, off a scrum almost on halfway, Hawks scrum-half Paddy Boyer set off on a lateral solo run. He was tap-tackled by Glenn Bryce near the Heriot’s line, but had sufficient impetus to go over for the opening try, converted by George Horne.

That completed the first-half scoring, although Bryce was tackled into touch at the corner flag in the final action of the half.

A terrific shove from the home pack won a 45th-minute penalty for Hawks, converted by Horne, before another moment of inspiration brought Heriot’s back into the game in 52 minutes.

Replacement James Fleming ran a superb line off scrummage ball to get to within touching distance of the line, ignoring a clear three-man overlap, but the Heriot’s pack recycled and replacement prop Nathan Borel was driven over for an unconverted try. Horne and Wilson then exchanged penalties as the game moved into the final quarter, when another sublime individual moment lifted the game.

Horne switched the point of attack from a tapped penalty, Tommy Spinks linked and Paul Ramsay combined pace and swerve on a 55-metre dash to the corner for a try, converted by Horne.

But a scything run from Liam Steele produced a great individual try, converted by Wilson to make it again a two-point game.

However, Hawks were in no mood to lose this one and the game ended with play in the visitors’ red zone and Hawks securing a welcome win.