Hawick secure top spot in rugby’s Scottish Premiership with 59-3 derby win at Selkirk

Hawick with the Bill McLaren Shield after their 59-3 away win against Selkirk at Philiphaugh on Saturday in rugby's Scottish Premiership (Photo: Grant Kinghorn)

Any talk of form-books going out of windows for derbies was silenced by half-time at Selkirk’s Philiphaugh home ground as head coach Matty Douglas’s visitors, only in need of a single point to confirm their top-dog status, were already 19-3 up then on their way to a 59-3 victory taking them ten points clear of Marr at the top of the table and setting up a semi-final against fourth-placed Kelso.

With 77 points from 18 fixtures, Hawick are now out of reach of Marr, on 67 from 17, and third-placed Currie Chieftains, on 65 from 17, but half of that chasing pack can cut the gap to pole position, as well as deciding where the other semi-final will take place, when they meet in Edinburgh on Saturday, February 17, to wrap up their regular schedules.

Four visiting players scored tries at the double at the weekend – centres Andrew Mitchell and Lee Armstrong, flanker Calum Renwick and full-back Kirk Ford – with No 8 Jae Linton touching down another and Ford adding seven conversions.

Lee Armstrong kicking ahead during Hawick's 59-3 away win against Selkirk at Philiphaugh on Saturday (Photo: Grant Kinghorn)

Their hosts’ only response was a long-distance penalty kicked by scrum-half Hugo Alderson early on, narrowing the gap between the two sides to 5-3 at that point, but that was as good as it got for them.

As well as securing top spot and home advantage for their play-off semi-final, Saturday’s victory reunited Hawick with the Bill McLaren Shield after losing it to Marr in Troon in September, Selkirk having brought it back to the Borders by beating Musselburgh in December.

Ahead of the play-offs, on dates yet to be fixed, Hawick play a Border League fixture away to Scottish National League Division 2 table-toppers Peebles this coming Friday, with kick-off at 7.30pm, and they’ve got two further games to play in that regional competition – at home to Melrose on Saturday, March 23, and away to Gala on a date to be confirmed.

The Greens are top of that table too, with 12 points from three fixtures, four ahead of second-placed Selkirk and third-placed Kelso, both on eight points.

Hawick captain Shawn Muir being given the Bill McLaren Shield by Selkirk president David Anderson after the Greens' 59-3 away win at Philiphaugh on Saturday (Photo: Grant Kinghorn)

Douglas was full of praise for the performance put in by his side, describing it as a big improvement on their 19-17 victory away to Heriot’s Blues seven days earlier, saying: “It was pretty impressive, to be honest.

“From the word go, we were ruthless and we just kind of put everything together.

“Obviously, there were a lot of different questions needing answered after our performance against Heriot’s, and I think plaudits need to go to the players. They reacted in the way we, as coaches, wanted them to.

“They were just really pleasing to watch.”

Hawick No 8 Jae Linton taking on Selkirk prop Zenon Szwagrzak during the Greens' 59-3 away win at Philiphaugh on Saturday (Photo: Grant Kinghorn)

Opposition head coach Gordon Henderson was equally impressed, adding: “Sometimes you’ve just got to take it on the chin and admit you’ve been up against a better side.

“Hawick, when they had possession, played at pace and with intensity and there was some really good ball-carrying.

“Jae Linton, Shawn Muir and Dalton Redpath got hold of the gain-line and they caused us a lot of problems.

“There was no lack of effort on our part – we just couldn’t get a foothold in the game.

Andrew Mitchell scoring his first try, watched by Calum Renwick, during Hawick's 59-3 away win against Selkirk at Philiphaugh on Saturday (Photo: Grant Kinghorn)

“We just couldn’t get our attack going in positions that would put them under any pressure.

“Hawick are a very good side and they deserved to win.”