Hawick hoping to take tally of wins for season to dozen by doing double against Edinburgh Accies

Head coach Matty Douglas’s Greens host Edinburgh Academical at Mansfield Park on Saturday, with kick-off at 2pm, and they’re hoping to do the double against the capital side, having beaten them 13-12 away in mid-September, to take their tally of wins for this campaign to a dozen.

With 12 games played thus far, Hawick are on 52 points after doing the double against basement side Musselburgh on Saturday by edging them out 20-14 away a week after thumping them 55-5 at home.

That’s four points clear of second-placed Currie Chieftains and ten ahead of this Saturday’s third-placed visitors, with Selkirk fourth on 39.

Their director of rugby, John Hogg, would like to see them retain pole position for as long as possible but says he’s not looking too far ahead for now.

“We’re four points clear at the top now but we can’t rest on our laurels,” he said.

“We’re not really looking at anything like that. All we’re concentrating on is winning every game and that’s all you can do.

“It’s an old cliche but we’re taking it one game at a time and hopefully we’ll just keep winning and keep that gap.

“Hopefully, come the business end of the season, we’ll still be up in the top two or whatever and we’ll take it from there.”

Hawick’s victory against Accies in Stockbridge was a welcome sign of progress, according to Hogg, as they’d lost the corresponding fixture last season, in September 2021, 42-29.

“The thing is that, for us, that was a huge result because Accies are a great side at home,” he recalled.

“Our away form last season wasn’t great, so to get that victory on the road was a huge boost for all the boys and for the whole club. The boys that were playing were buzzing after it.

“A win at Accies is a big, big result so we were all really happy with that.”

They’ll be happier still if they can repeat that feat on home turf but Hogg is all too aware that will be easier said than done.

“You’re always wanting to win at home, of course, but Accies had a great win at the weekend, 22-21 against Currie Chieftains, and they’re not a side you can take lightly,” he said.

“We’re expecting them to come down here and give us a real hard test and we have to be up for it.

“We’re not in the least bit complacent about anybody coming to play at Mansfield as, though Accies had a great win at the weekend, the week before they got well beaten, 50-18 at Currie, so they can turn things around very quickly and we’re going to have to do our best on Saturday to take them on.”

Hawick’s try-scorers in East Lothian at the weekend were Andrew Mitchell and Lewis Ferguson, with Kirk Ford converting both and also kicking two penalties,

Jamie Campbell touched down their hosts’ only try, with Danny Owenson adding two penalties and Paul Cunningham another.

That result might have been a closer-run thing than the visitors would have liked but that was to be expected, reckons Hogg.

“When you’re at the top of the league, everybody’s wanting to knock you down ,so every game gets harder the longer the season goes on,” he said.

“The boys are expecting that and we’ve just got to rise above it and keep trying hard.”