Hawick still up for rugby’s Scottish cup despite flanker’s sending-off

Hawick and Edinburgh Academical players chasing a loose ball during the former's 23-12 Scottish cup second-round win at the capital's Raeburn Place on Saturday (Photo: Malcolm Grant)

Saturday’s 23-12 second-round victory was the 21st on the bounce for head coach Matty Douglas’s Greens – following 17 during the regular Tennent’s Premiership season and two in the ensuing play-offs, plus one in the Scottish cup’s first round versus Jed-Forest in February – and it extends their current unbeaten run to almost a year, beginning with their 18-14 Border League final win against Kelso last April.

It sets up a quarter-final against Tennent’s National League Division 1 side Glasgow High Kelvinside at home at Mansfield Park this coming Saturday, with kick-off at 3pm, keeping alive the Borderers’ hopes of securing a second piece of silverware this season.

Premiership play-off final try hero Ronan McKean opened the scoring for the visitors at Stockbridge’s Raeburn Place on three minutes, with Kirk Ford converting and adding a penalty seven minutes later to put them 10-0 in front.

Gareth Welsh on his way to scoring a try for Hawick away to Edinburgh Academical on Saturday (Pic: Malcolm Grant)

Accies then pegged them back with an unconverted Lewis Wells try, only for Gareth Welsh to touch down for Hawick and Ford to add a further set of extras and penalty to make it 20-5 at half-time.

A further Ford penalty was Hawick’s only contribution to the scoreline after the interval, with Clem Lacour scoring a 59th-minute consolation try for their hosts.

Flanker Stuart Graham was sent off for a high tackle quarter of an hour into Saturday’s cup tie and Hawick also had winger James Delaney and full-back Ford sin-binned at various points, with Ruairi Campbell being yellow-carded for the hosts.

Greens captain Shawn Muir was delighted to see his side overcome the adversity they created for themselves in the capital, telling Borders Rugby TV afterwards: “It was very tough. We didn’t make it easy for ourselves, with losing a man again, but the boys stuck in.

Hawick captain Shawn Muir being halted by Edinburgh's defence (Pic: Malcolm Grant)

“It’d been a strange two weeks since the premiership final, so it was good just to get back out there, and the character and desire we showed again was outstanding.

“Accies are a good side – they finished third in the premiership – and they put us under a lot of pressure. We were hanging on at times, but we got the win, which is the most important thing.

“We’re fully focused, now the premiership trophy is in the cabinet, on bringing another cup back to Mansfield.”

Looking ahead to GHK’s visit this weekend, Muir added: “It’ll be brilliant to be back at Mansfield in the quarter-finals.

Nicky Little on the charge for Hawick against Edinburgh Academical at the weekend (Pic: Malcolm Grant)

“We’ll give them all the respect they deserve, like we do every team. We’ll prepare as for any other game and we’ll go out all guns blazing next week at home.”

Saturday’s win also saw Hawick retain possession of the Bill McLaren Shield.

Hawick’s two wins, in 1996 and 2001, make them the region’s second most successful side, after Melrose, in the cup along with Gala, winners in 1999 and 2012. The Greens beat Watsonians 17-15 in 1996 and Glasgow Hawks 20-17 after extra time in 2002.

They’ve made it to one final since, in 2015, but were beaten 55-17 by four-time winners Boroughmuir.

This year’s cup is the first since 2019, Ayr being the current holders.