“So here it is Merry Christmas everybody’s having fun, look to the future now it’s only just begun”. That famous opening pop lyric, so unfairly stolen by Slade from the original version sung by Coach Matt Landels to his rubber duck ‘soapy’ in the bath years ago, floated back into earshot tonight when “My Hawick Force Boys” justifiably replaced the Yuletide words, for the very happy big bundle of joy that Matt really is, as his young charges slayed Selkirk’s finest.
The words were very appropriate because of the fact that the previous week most of these players had shone like tinsel down at Mansfield for the firsts and proved that they are the ghosts of many happy Christmases to come for the Hawick club.
Nobody could doubt that the lads deserved all of the plaudits throughout this long, wet and tough season when they have carried all before them and landed every piece of silverware available to them. As Captain Sam Frizzel held aloft the Border Junior Cup he did so on behalf of a group of young men who have grown into a serious team this season and can eat like they play, quickly and voraciously.
As the team ate their own weight in pizza after the match they reflected upon a performance that more than merited the celebrations that ensued after an 8 try, 4 conversion, rout of the visiting Soutars.
Early points from a Selkirk breakaway put their noses in front but it merely served to fire up the pizza oven of desire in the lads in green, and they soon devoured their opponents in a tasty first 40 minutes. The Ham and Pineapple Donaldson brothers from Langholm combined with a converted try to push the Greens in front, and though this duo may not be to everyone’s combination of tastes they really hit the spot tonight.
That opening period was quickly followed by yet another score prepared in the town of the muckle pizza, as Tom Hope thumped down to score like a well filled crust that he so obviously relishes with extra fries.
There is no doubting that old style concoctions can be the best, and Gary Lowrie returned to the fray, like a dependable Margherita, always effective, always putting on a tasty show and here bringing some mini pizza boys with him to add to the ball boy ranks. He ran 30 yards to score the first of what would turn out to be a hattrick.
Captain Sam Frizzel left the field with a nasty looking injury, to match his haircut, only to be replaced by a man who looked like he had half a deep fried pizza in his belly and the other half stuck in his ample beard. Glen Welsh is a one man wrecking ball and the Force lads love to have him in their ranks, he was combative yet effective tonight and he dived over for the Force’s 4th try. This was quickly followed by Cian Riddell scorching through the defence in front of him, like a flaming hot peperoni, to score from near the halfway line. Welcome back Cian, a lad of huge talent and not just in pouring shots.
The half time whistle came at a time when the Force boys looked like scoring every time they handled the ball and with a dominant scrum, led on by meat feast Ru MacLeod and loaded fries Liam Graham , the score was 31-5 at the break.
After the break the hosts (though playing at the neutral Volunteer Park) slackened off a bit and let the visitors put a closer look to the scoreboard than the actual balance of play suggested. Selkirk outscored the Force in the second period but Finn Douglas made a mincemeat topping out of the Selkirk defence when he raced away for a score in the corner that his voracious appetite for pacey play deserved.
There was ample time however for the Man of the Match to grab two further tries and show all the young lads how to craft a gourmet dish out of meagre scraps. Lowrie’s Pizza comes with every ingredient of a complete player, he is willing, tough, athletic, dependable and well fired up. Earlier in the season he saw red for over exuberance leaving that pitch shorts hardly dirty, tonight he left the game with less skin on his legs than before he began the night, but with the accolade of ‘MasterChef’ rightly ringing in his ears, maybe even he can put an anchovy on a pizza and get away with it?
In all, Bailey Donaldson kicked 4 conversions and with 8 team tries on the menu ,this proud side (wearing a set of jerseys dedicated to the rugby heroes of teams gone by) bid farewell to a memorable 150th season with the complete collection of trophies that they alone deserved.
RB