Hawick Force 12 Kelso 2nds 17
This was a pulsating encounter which neither side deserved to lose played on historic Mansfield Park. Sadly, the state of Murrayfield’s policy in getting games played has bypassed – better than Cristian Barnard could – the 2nds leagues with half of Saturday’s games off due to unwilling or unavailable players, but Kelso answered the call and their huge side just held on to win.
The Force started strongly with Logan Gordon Wooley showing exactly why he is a certainty to move back up to the Firsts soon. He beat several tackles time after time, and a fifty-yard run was only stopped five yards out. The boy can run better than Forrest Gump. Meanwhile Cian Riddell was orchestrating things with his baton boot better than anyone in the league, with deft chips and long raking spirals. Lee Armstrong, dancing past opponents like John Travolta, ran a brilliant line to score with Riddell adding the conversion before more fierce running by Rab C Linton and Tom Hutton drove the pack relentlessly on. Kelso have not lost this season and they went into the break ahead despite some brutal defending by their hosts. This was attritional stuff, no side wanting to give an inch, in a way that would have made Lord Melchett proud.
Young Finlay Douglas was proudly playing in League 7 last week for the mighty Quins but, as fast as Alan Wells, he ran straight and true whilst shrugging off tackles to speed into the corner for a great try, avoiding the touchline with precision, and showing why he is destined for League 1 soon.
Despite pounding the visitors’ try line the youngsters could not quite get the winning try, despite scrum halves Comley and Wood showing tenacity and captain Sam Frizzell leading from the front much more courageously than Captain Blackadder.
This was a good workout for the youngsters who were ready to take on Melrose this weekend coming, on Hawick’s grass not their Plasticyards, but alas, yet again, we find a team who can’t or won’t play our gallant lads so it will be tackle pads and Square 1 shots next weekend, as we wait for the HQ oil tanker to turn towards 2nds rugby.
RB
