Glasgow Hawks 29 - 20 Watsonians: Good, bad and ugly
The match varied in quality, with a sublime opening try from Kerr Gossman contrasting with some very dire, mistake-laden passages in which both sides struggled to hold on to the ball.
It didn’t help either that referee Neil Muir had a stinker: “Is he on an exchange from soccer?” asked one Old Anniesland regular, as the official’s decisions repeatedly perplexed the Brains Trust in the Jimmy Ireland Stand.
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Hide AdGossman’s opener, on a jinking run from the Watsonians’ ten-metre line in nine minutes, was answered by a breenging close-range one from Rory Drummond midway through the half. Hagen Schulte converted the Gossman try, then added a penalty, but Keith Young squared the game with an unconverted try, before prop Gary Strain was driven over, Schulte again converted and Hawks led 17-10 at the break.
Andrew Chalmers ghosted through a huge gap and converted his try to pull the visitors level in 45 minutes, before Scott Cummings’ second try in as many games – the big Warrior bulldozing through – edged Hawks ahead again. Alex Harris then pulled Watsonians to 22-20 with a long-range penalty.
However, with their pack rampant, Hawks took charge and as time ran out, after close-range scrums saw the visitors’ pack repeatedly penalised, referee Muir awarded a penalty try, converted by Schulte.