Arnold Clark Men's Premiership: Kelso secure safety while Glasgow Hawks have destiny in own hands
03/29/2025 03:37 PM
Kelso 27
Glasgow Hawks 24
DAVID FERGUSON @ Poynder Park
KELSO secured their Premiership status with a gruelling but entertaining battle of an encounter that defied the physics of wind and power. But Hawks still have some work to do to ensure Marr instead of them hit the trap-door.
The Borderers led 20-12 at half-time, but only after a cheeky try by scrum-half Andy Tait, who showed the cunning and skill of the 'Artful Dodger' in stealing the ball from the hands of opposite number Scott Steele, the Scotland Test cap, and sprinting 40 metres to score, just as Hawks were preparing to unleash another dangerous backs attack.
Still, one felt at the break that eight points may not be enough for Kelso as Hawks – who had Scotland prop Murphy Walker back from long-term injury to make up an impressive front-five – turned to have the strong gale at their back. But, in a bizarre twist, they spent virtually all of the second period in their own half, two kicks that bounced on and on until they went dead typical of their failure to find a platform in Kelso territory, and their set-piece power rarely put to use.
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Kelso, meanwhile, played like dervishes, their front-row stepping up in the loose, and familiar trio Bruce McNeil, Keith Melbourne and Cammy Thompson taking turns to lead the charge into battle against Hawks' big men, alongside released Edinburgh youngster Liam McConnell, who had another immense game. Meanwhile, scrum-half Tait and Liam Herdman at stand-off varying the point of attack to keep Hawks' defence guessing, and working overtime.
Hawks matched them time and again, with great defensive shifts, but a fine try from the impressive home wing Dwain Patterson in the 80th minute created the crucial gap that meant they could even cope with the Hawks finally breaking free to score deep into injury time.
When wing Ryan Flett crossed for Hawks' first try to put them 7-6 ahead after eight minutes, and get his 50th appearance celebrations off and running, things had looked good for the men from the west, but he admitted they didn't get their tactics right after the break.
"In the first half I genuinely thought we played the better rugby," he said. "We were playing out from our 22 and had no inhibitions about what we were doing.
"We were unlucky to lose the second score [the ‘Artful Dodger’ one]. But in the second half we went away from our brand of rugby, of throwing the ball around, and what that second half showed, I think, was the belief in that Kelso team. They are a really, really gritty team and they have a great crowd here; they didn't exactly play flashy rugby but on days like today it's the result that matters, and they deserved the win in the end."
Flett struggled to take any consolation from the four tries scored and two bonus points collected, however, with Marr losing they are now eights points ahead of their west coast rivals, and though Marr have two games to go, a Hawks win of any sort at home to Selkirk next week would move them above Kelso, whose season is now finished, and safely into eighth place as they seek to build on promising foundations at Balgray.
Kelso, however, worked for everything they got in this one, and the right to decide their own destiny. Patterson slotted two early penalties, showing his kicking skill by curling the second in the wind, and while Flett showed Hawks' attacking quality after a sublime Steele break created a two-on-one, his opposite number Robbie Tweedie brought Kelso back into it with a try in the 26th minute that rewarded a solid period of Kelso pressure in the Hawks' 22, with countless breenges to the line and good composure
Visiting locks Max Crumlish and Ryan Burke flexed their significant muscles in battering through Kelso tackles, Jonny Morris, the No 8, showed his quality on the hoof and openside Seb Hastings finished off the good work with a second Hawks' try in the 33rd minute. With the Hawks' pack earning penalties off scrum drives, and the wind regularly ruining line-out throws and Kelso attempts to mauls, Hawks seemed in the ascendency. But then Tait pick-pocketed Steele and sent his side into the break 20-12 up.
The third quarter was an engrossing arm-wrestle but it was a contest fought mostly in the Hawks' half and while Kelso attacked and attacked, Frank Robson putting in a power of ball-carrying to help his forwards, their efforts defused the Hawks' power dominance.
Hawks also saw their aresenal reduced when Andy McLean was yellow carded for stopping Patterson from releasing after the wing's break had taken him within metres of the Hawks' line, and lost Steele and Walker to injury in that time.
It took until five minutes from time for Hawks to finally score again, great work by stand-out performer Isaiah Malaulau, the Kiwi prop, leading to a fine break by McLean, and though there was dubiety over how he got back to his feet, Jonny Morris wasn't worrying as he took a pass and sprinted in behind the posts.
Liam Brims' conversion made the score 20-17, but Kelso finished the normal 80 minutes with a fierce grip on the game, running through countless phases, and the noise that greeted Patterson's try – the winger cutting a fine line to finish off all the hard work inside – was deafening and underlined how much this means to the Borders town. A late breakaway finished by pacy wing Ben Morris was too little too late to halt the Tweedsiders' party.
Patterson said: "It's huge for us to stay in the Premiership again and I'm glad that we were able to make sure of it in front of our support today. We didn't want to be waiting for favours from anyone else.
"In the past, Hawks have had a reputation as a crash, bang, wallop team, but they came here and really stretched us. They have quality players like Scott Steele, Murphy, Ryan and others right across the team, but I think the key was how we started that second half. We knew it would be tough in this gale, but our forwards were immense again, we varied our attack, worked our way up the pitch, and defended in their half for as long as we could.
"We talk a lot about how great our supporters are but they really do lift you, wherever you are on the pitch, and whenever the opposition make a mistake it feels like the crowd is right on top of them.
"We know next season will be tough again with one going down from a ten-team league, but it's great for the players, this club and our supporters to know we're going to be there again … and now it's time for some sevens and sun, hopefully!"
Teams –
Kelso: A Barbour; D Patterson, H Tweedie (A Hall 63), F Robson, R Tweedie; L Herdman (I Coates 78), A Tait; G Shiells, E Knox (N Barnes 63), D Gamble, C Thompson, K Melbourne, L McConnell, M Woodcock, B McNeil.
Glasgow Hawks: E Muirhead (L Brims 54); B Morris, F Callaghan, C Elliot, R Flett; A McLean, S Steele (B Jackson 50); I Malaulau, P Cairncross, M Walker (M Goodwin 59), M Crumlish, R Burke, L Stewart, S Hastings (Y Shaheen 59), J Morris.
Referee: Rob McDowell.
Yellow card –
Glasgow Hawks: McLean (55 mins)
Scorers –
Kelso: Tries: Tweedie, Tait, Patterson; Cons: Patterson 3; Pens: Patterson 2.
Glasgow Hawks: Tries: Flett, Hastings, J Morris, B Morris; Cons: McLean, Brims.
Scoring sequence (Kelso first): 3-0; 6-0; 6-5; 6-7; 11-7; 13-7; 13-12; 18-12; 20-12 (h-t) 20-17; 25-17; 27-17; 27-22; 27-24.
Player-of-the-Match: Hawks had contenders across their pack with Isaiah Malaulau a towering presence in the scrum, defence and about the park, but Kelso matched them with the front-row bouncing back from early set-piece trouble to play well in the loose, Keith Melbourne back to his best in his final game before returning to Ireland, and Liam McConnell and Bruce McNeil putting in incredible shifts. Andy Tait had one of his best performances at scrum-half and Liam Herdman was typically astute in varying attack, but for his flawless goal-kicking in severe winds, vital last try after several attacking breaks, and presence all over the park, Dwain Patterson just takes it this week.
Talking point: The gale-force wind that blew down the park proved useless as a tool for both sides. Hawks played better against it, and Kelso largely ignored it, after pre-match talk around how decisive it would be in the game.
The post Arnold Clark Men’s Premiership: Kelso secure safety while Glasgow Hawks have destiny in own hands appeared first on Scottish Rugby News from The Offside Line.
