Hawick 30 - 10 Edinburgh Accies: Stylish Hawick win

Hawick demonstrated why they deserve to retain their Premiership status after delivering a stylish and effective performance in achieving an emphatic victory over Edinburgh Accies, writes Alan Lorimer at Mansfield Park.

Hawick coach Phil Leck described his side's first 15 minutes of the game as 'the best Ive seen this team play'. Picture: Contributed

The Greens at times played near perfect rugby using pace and guile in attack while maintaining an intensity in defence that kept Accies for the most part unable to produce their trademark game. Hawick coach Phil Leck described his side’s first 15 minutes of the game as “the best I’ve seen this team play”.

Such was the quality of Hawick’s rugby that the Greens found themselves 19-0 ahead with only twelve minutes of the game played, Hawick having made clear their intent within the first minute with a break by Gary Johnstone that all but produced an immediate score. As it was, Hawick had to wait only four minutes for their first points, a try and conversion by full back Neil Renwick.

Then Greg Cottrell finished off with a close-range try again converted by Renwick and a 14-0 lead for the Greens after eight minutes.

Hawick’s Scotland wing Nikki Walker created a try for flanker Nick McTaggart. Renwick missed the conversion but before the first quarter had finished the full back put over a penalty goal.

At 22-0 down Accies finally came to life with a close range try by hooker Mike Liness and added a similar score by scrum half Alex Black early in the second half. But Hawick reasserted themselves adding a Renwick penalty and a top-drawer try, again involving Walker, and finished in the corner by Scott McLeod to seal an impressive win.