Hawick YM 15
Jed-Forest 16
RBS REGIONAL CUP
FIONA SCOTT reports from Mansfield Haugh
THIS Borders Regional Cup tie may have been relatively insignificant as far as placings were concerned with both teams sitting at the bottom end of the table.
But in terms of pride the significance was all to real for both sides.
Coachless Jed were desperate to get a win under their belts before they resume their fight to remain in the National league. While Championship outfit Hawick YM were keen to show that they can hold their own in the company of the bigger Border League clubs.
Both achieved their aims. Neither were very happy with the outcome!
Flu-struck Jed got their win with the final kick of the game but would have preferred not to have been run so close by a team in the flight below. Former team boss Kevin Barrie has been helping out interim coach Ally Campbell while, due to illness sweeping the club, veteran sevens star Kevin Amos found himself playing at full back. Barrie told TheSouthern: “It has already been difficult for us to get wins and then we had a lot off call offs as the week went on so it was good to get a result under the circumstances.
“Kevin (Amos) did say that he would play if we really needed him and today we really needed him. He did really well and his communication skills are great so he was a welcome addition.”
Looking on the bright side Barrie, who coaches the highly successful Jedburgh Grammar School Under 16s team, added: “I truly believe the future is good for Jed rugby. We always knew this dip in form was coming, having lost several players and a coach over the last couple of seasons.
“We know we can’t rely on players like Amos and John Szkudro forever so we have to get the young ones through. That means finding our feet again this year and then next year we’ve got to be ambitious. We have to keep what we’ve got and build on what we’ve got. Gala have been through what we are going through and look at where they are now. Our youth development is going really well and we have to work hard to make sure those youngsters come through and play for the senior team.”
On the other side of the fence Hawick YM coach Jammy McFarlane was rueing a missed opportunity. “We’re continuing to punch above our weight when it comes to playing the Border League teams. We didn’t want to embarrass ourselves in this company and we haven’t. To lose on the last kick of the game is brutal though, everyone is gutted”, he told us.
Jed got off to a flying start to go 10-0 up in the opening quarter thanks to a penalty goal from Ewan Scott who also converted David Grieve’s try on the 20 minute mark.
YM regained composure however and some great work from their forwards allowed them to keep hold of possession for the latter stages of the half, finally being rewarded when Michael Graham received the ball out wide just before the break to score in the corner. Half time: Hawick YM 5 Jed-Forest 10.
Growing in confidence the hosts took the bull by the horns from the restart and after 10 minutes moved into the lead through a Dean McCracken try converted by Gregor Welsh.
With both teams tiring rapidly in the now soggy conditions the game became a bit scrappy and it was not until the final minute of the second half that Scott managed to convert a penalty to seal the game for Jed.
Hawick YM: G. Welsh; G. Wylie, S. Potts, M. Graham, G. Kellington; D. McCracken, B. Campbell; B. Lilly, G. Douglas, R. Graham, B. Thomson, S. Mabon, A. Turnbull, R. Hogg, C. Robson. Subs: D. Cowan, G. Cannon, S. Desport.
Jed-Forest: K. Amos; C. Gillon, N. Fono-Hunt, E. Scott, D. Gobby; R. Miller, R. Goodfellow; A. Ions, D. Grieve, A. Frame, A. McKay, J. Rowley, S. Raeburn, M. Weekley, D. Grieve. Subs: N. Bates, G. Ramsey, M. Chisholm, N. Cook, E. Munro,
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