Hawick keep up 100% home record in rugby’s Tennent’s Premiership

Hawick are still hoping to land a home play-off at the end of the current Tennent’s Premiership season but not only do they have to beat second-placed Marr this coming weekend to pull that off but they’ll also be reliant on a helping hand from Borders rivals Jed-Forest.
Shawn Muir on the ball for Hawick against Aberdeen Grammar on Saturday (Photo: Bill McBurnie)Shawn Muir on the ball for Hawick against Aberdeen Grammar on Saturday (Photo: Bill McBurnie)
Shawn Muir on the ball for Hawick against Aberdeen Grammar on Saturday (Photo: Bill McBurnie)

The Greens racked up a nine-try victory against basement side Aberdeen Grammar at their Mansfield Park ground on Saturday to maintain their 100% record at home this campaign and now have only one game of the regular season to go.

That’s against Marr in Troon this Saturday, with kick-off at 3pm. Victory there would see Hawick leapfrog their hosts, currently on 64 points from 16 games, into second place behind Currie Chieftains, but the South Ayrshire side have a game in hand, to be played at Jedburgh’s Riverside Park on Saturday, March 5, at 3pm.

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Hawick’s try-scorers against Aberdeen, now demoted to Tennent’s National League Division 1, were Connor Sutherland and Calum Renwick both at the double, plus Gareth Welsh, captain Matt Carryer, Bailey Donaldson, Ronan McKean and Glen Welsh. Six of those tries were converted by Kirk Ford, with Donaldson kicking another.

Hawick hooker and captain Matt Carryer on the charge against Aberdeen Grammar (Photo: Bill McBurnie)Hawick hooker and captain Matt Carryer on the charge against Aberdeen Grammar (Photo: Bill McBurnie)
Hawick hooker and captain Matt Carryer on the charge against Aberdeen Grammar (Photo: Bill McBurnie)

The hosts’ head coach, Matty Douglas, was delighted to see his side complete his debut season in charge unbeaten at home, telling Borders Rugby TV afterwards: “It was a really pleasing performance at Mansfield today.

“Weather dictated quite a lot of the play. In the first half, we played into a strong wind and went in 21-3 up at half-time and Aberdeen made us work for our tries.

“They played some good rugby and played the right areas – a great kicking game in the first half – but in the second half, we came out and just flicked the switch and lifted our tempo and urgency and put another six tries in. Credit to the players for keeping to the task.

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“Our subs got quite a bit of game time, which was good to see as well, as we’ve been in tight games and maybe not used our subs to their full potential.

Double try-scorer Connor Sutherland playing for Hawick against Aberdeen Grammar (Photo: Bill McBurnie)Double try-scorer Connor Sutherland playing for Hawick against Aberdeen Grammar (Photo: Bill McBurnie)
Double try-scorer Connor Sutherland playing for Hawick against Aberdeen Grammar (Photo: Bill McBurnie)

“It obviously means we’re unbeaten at home this season – eight games at Mansfield and one up at Volunteer Park – so credit to everybody involved at the club for that. It’s a great achievement and I don’t think it’s been done for quite a long time, so it’s really pleasing on that front.

“It’s another 80-minute performance and it just keeps rebuilding and keeps us progressing to what is a massive game next week at Marr. If we have any aspirations of a home semi-final, then it’s a must-win. There’s no question about it, we need to win next week, so it’s a trip we’re looking forward to and hopefully we can come away with some sort of result.”

Third-bottom Jed-Forest, on 26 points from 15 games, have two other games left to play besides their visit from Marr next month and they’re against Glasgow Hutchesons’ Aloysians home and away, both at 3pm. Their home game against the Glaswegians is this coming Saturday and they’re on the road on Saturday, March 12, that latter fixture having been rescheduled from last weekend.

The region’s other side in the division, Selkirk, currently second bottom with 22 points from 16 games, are away to Aberdeen this Saturday and at home to GHA on March 5, both kicking off at 3pm.