Under 18 National Youth League Cup Quarter Final Currie 26-29 Hawick Wanderers Due to the adverse weather the Wanderers travelled to Murrayfield to face Currie in their Scottish Cup Quarter Final tie. This was always going to be a real test for the Hawick boys, with Currie suffering only one defeat all season, and scoring 563 points in twelve games and sitting second in the National U18 League with a game in hand over leaders Highland. The opening minutes saw Currie take the game to the Wanderers, attacking with pace and power and throwing their all at the Hawick side. However, they were met by an equally hungry defence, intent on keeping their opponents at bay and willing to run en mass in attack when they got ball in hand. After five minutes of intense Currie pressure the Wands managed to turn play over deep inside their own 22, Darcy Graham utilising his pace to break down the far touchline, gaining good ground before kicking ahead into space. Logan Gordon-Woolley was in close support and read the situation beautifully and ran down the Currie defender before he had time to clear. As support for the Currie player slowly arrived he was penalised for holding on and the Wands kicked to touch for a lineout in a dangerous position well inside the Currie 22. A good clean take from Fraser Renwick’s pin point throw saw the Hawick pack drive Currie back another few meters before the ball was popped up for the on rushing Dalton Redpath who crashed hard through the heart of the defence and dotted down under the posts. Dean Gillan dispatched the conversion and the Wanderers took a 7-0 lead with six minutes on the clock. Currie tried everything to respond, spreading the ball left and right, looking for the slightest chink in the wands armour but the score eluded them as the Volunteer Park boys, with Captain Grant Huggan leading by example, chased down and tackled with conviction. On nine minutes Darcy Graham was very unlucky not to increase the Wands lead with a very powerful run, only some fantastic last ditch defence kept the flying full back out. Back came Currie but you could sense the growing confidence within the Hawick players as they slowly started to turn the game. On the quarter hour the Wands were starting to turn the screw, pushing Currie back with every phase of play. Then the Greens were dealt a blow as influential prop Robbie Linton had to leave the game with a shoulder injury after falling heavily whilst spearheading another attack. Jack Watson quickly joined the fray and found himself on the score sheet almost immediately. As he joined the game the Wands were pressing Currie hard and as they fumbled the ball inside their 22, Dalton Redpath was quickest to react and he hacked the ball forward into the in goal area. Following up his kick well Dalton found Jack on his shoulder and the young substitute managed to win the foot race and score midway between post and touchline. Dean Gillan was wide with his conversion but the Wands now had a handy looking 12-0 lead with just under 20 minutes played. On twenty minutes Currie tried hard to get a footing in the game and managed to pin the Wands back well inside their own half but a sublime clearing kick by Kyle Brunton eased the pressure and again focused play inside the Currie 22. On 25 minutes Dean Gillan was presented with the opportunity to further increase the lead for the Wands following a penalty as Currie infringed at the breakdown, unfortunately his kick sailed agonisingly wide of the right hand upright. That lead was to increase though on 29 minutes, Currie conceded a lineout near their ten meter line, and once again the Hawick boys secured good ball and drove their opponents back hard and fast. On the third drive Dalton Redpath once more collected the ball at pace to cut through the defence and dot down just right of the posts. Dean Gillan made no mistake with the extras, 19-0 Wands. A fantastic score from the Wands, Fraser Renwick again influential, aided and abetted by the pack who all showed complete commitment to the cause and setting the team up well with halftime closing quick. When the players did take the refs whistle for the break it was a bitter sweet moment, the momentum was such that you didn’t want play to stop but the exertions of the first half left the Wands eager for a breather and some much needed hydration. H.T Currie 0-19 Hawick wanderers The Wanderers made the perfect start to the second half, again, working hard throughout the team to pin Currie deep inside their own half. From a lineout inside the Currie 22 the Wanderers were penalised by the ref, but the Volunteer Park boys managed to take the scrum against the head and Grant Huggan picked from the back and ran powerfully at the defence. Fraser Renwick was quickly on hand to pick and go and he drove low and hard from three meters into the corner. Dean Gillan saw his conversion drop short from the touchline, 24-0 Wands. With the Wands looking dangerous everytime they got ball in hand, Currie were in danger of being totally overrun, but they found the form that everyone knew they had and started to attack the Wanderers with everything they had. As they drove down the far side, the Wanderers conceded a handful of penalties and suddenly Currie were knocking on the Hawick tryline. 42 minutes on the clock and they got their reward as they hit the line at pace and found the gap to power over near the posts. A sound conversion and Currie had a foot on the ladder, 24-7. The score seemed the tonic they needed and the Wands had to work very hard to suppress the attacks, every single Hawick player putting their all into defence. On 55 minutes the Wanderers were reduced to 14 as Fraser Renwick saw yellow following a mistimed tackle. After some treatment to their player, Currie found themselves in a great attacking position only five meters out. A tap and go by the pack was quickly stifled by the Wands but Currie recycled quickly and they managed to cross the whitewash at the second attempt. A well struck conversion rebounded back off the upright but Currie now had their tails well and truly up, 24-12 Wands. Three minutes later and Currie were in again, the Hawick side not helping their own cause, conceding too many penalties and as the ref marched them into their own 22 Currie exploited a lack of concentration in the Wands ranks to power home near the corner. A magnificent conversion brought Currie to within a try at 24-19. As the teams lined up for the restart, the Hawick support did their best to rally the players and the boys dug deep, again going on the attack with the back line causing problems with the pace and aggression of some of their play. The welcome sight of Fraser Renwick returning to the field on 65 minutes gave the players a huge boost and within a minute the Wanderers were to score the crucial winning try. As the forwards kept things tight in the middle, they drove Currie back to their 22 presenting Grant Huggan with good ball at the base of the ruck and he had time to weigh up his options before firing the ball left on the blindside where young winger Logan Gordon-Woolley picked up play from fifteen meters out then showed good judgement to go low and dive in from two meters as the Currie defence closed. Dean Gillan’s conversion fell short but the Wands now had a crucial two score lead with five minutes to play, 29-19. The last five minutes were saw both teams go hard at each other, Currie hunting the score and the Wands desperate to get hands on ball to try and clear their lines. With a minute to go Currie caught the Wands flat footed and they raced in next to the posts after some great play in midfield, a quick conversion and we went into the last play 29-26 to the Wanderers. Dean Gillan stepped up for the restart and totally miss kicked the ball, crucially however, the ball travelled the required ten meters and ran dead where upon the refs whistle brought out huge emotion amongst the Wanderers players and support alike. F.T Currie 26-29 Hawick Wanderers This was a tremendous victory for the Wanderers, probably their best performance since defeating Peebles at the Volunteer back in October. Too many big performances to mention individual players. In the first ten minutes Currie went hard, very hard, but they were met by some concrete defending, no player in green took a backward step and, against the play, went a score up. That showed huge character and defined the rest of the first half for our boys. Second half Currie showed what they are capable of, they, like the Wands play fast open rugby which is a joy to watch. Very strong and very mobile, they are a confident well drilled outfit. A tremendous game of rugby which went right down to the wire, both teams leaving everything they had out on the field.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 20:39:14 +0000
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