There may well be a tunnel at Mosspaul that they have to travel through to get to Hawick , and so perhaps it was with that experience that the lads from Langholm entered this fray, entirely focused, and with tunnel vision for only one thing, a ‘home’ victory. The entire Hawick club is much the better for the journeys that the three musketeers have made over the last few years , and tonight was a celebration of everything that is good in the Muckle Toon. Tom Hope amply performs the role of Porthos, a strong, stocky figure who has clearly spent his youthful days gorging on ice-cream oysters and knickerbocker glories from the wonderful corner cafe that the Pelosis run in proud Langholm. And so it was that Hope has developed from a player that would never try to beat the first man, into a rugby-hungry player, striving for better, breenging past the first man and charging on like an injured water buffalo. He was rewarded with an excellent try, as the visitors found him just too strong for their massed ranks. The role of Aramis, the dashing young man, torn between decisions was most ably played by young Hughie-Joe Donaldson. This lad needs to be playing at as high a level as possible. Based on this performance he is (with the greatest of respect to our friends in Scarlet) someone who needs game time at a high level to keep off that puppy fat that is being well shed, but he is torn between his love of Milntown and his wish to strive higher. Hughie was immense in this game, chasing the ball at every opportunity, he wanted the ball, he wanted the tackle and he wanted to lead by example. Latimers have just about everything a householder could want in their Langholm store , and just like them Hughie has every asset needed to be a regular in the Premiership for a decade to come, built like a couch, tall as a bunk bed and shining like a desk lamp, let us hope he fulfils that ambition. He was the best player on the park and Kelso found him too strong to stop.
The third Musketeer is Donaldson’s brother Bailey. This column has relentlessly called for him to move up to the firsts , and if there is a better left footed kicker in Scotland, let him or her step forward to challenge this D’Artagnan to a duel here at historic Mansfield Park. Bailey controlled this game with a maturity far beyond his years, he chipped (like the Loon Chen), and punted better than any other could . Coming from Langholm he has seen his fair share of wind and water, and so in these blustery conditions Bailey was in his element and too hot to handle, just like the chillis that adorn every shopfront in the Muckle Toon. Who you ask is Athos, the father figure to this trio of MacDiarmid’s sons? Well step forward the wounded pride of Ronan ‘Rondon’ McKean who had been ‘demoted’ for this fixture and quickly showed the firsts selectors why he must be knocking on their door this week demanding his place back. He was strong, vocal and intelligent in his play, regularly cutting through the visitors ranks with ease, just as he did for his two strongly charging tries from good distances out from the whitewash. His efforts in this contest were reminiscent of a young Nikki Walker and while Rondon’s ever present dad may support a minor football team he has, in his son, a major rugby player. Mention must be made of Ben Scott, he has bravely returned to rugby when many others would have given up (or headed to the much less rough ranks of park fitba) after significant injury. He was everywhere ,and scored a blistering solo try as a just reward for a performance that puts him firmly in the mix for a play off semi final berth. It was said, on the terraces tonight, that he is better than his dad was, but that is a debate for the kitchen table, as it was his proud dad who whispered that challenge. The pack were strong throughout and the backs ran with vigour and vim. 24 nil up at half time and coasting , the whole team did not slack off in the second half and ‘won’ the last 40 minutes by 12 points to 7 playing against the wind. Fin Douglas showed that the National under 20s have picked the wrong namesake for the six nations, by latching on to a wonderful team try, with Messrs Scott, Davies, Gray and Mcmichan allowing Fin to scorch in for a try that had the large crowd gladly warming their hands with applause.
The night was appropriately finished off by Bailey Donaldson , who scored a try and landed his third conversion late into the tie. He was captain for the night and did what every leader of that famous border town would want by putting in a skipper’s performance, as he headed back to of the Buck to drink the equivalent contents Skipper’s Cleuch in celebration