FOR
NO reason other than, to me, it
covers what makes rugby such a fantastic game, I am heading up
today's post with a totally unrelated picture, which I have lifted
from Stirling county stalwart Bryan Robertson's Facebook page.
If
you don't know who these two are – where have you been in Scottish
Rugby these many years, but, a game which allows an all-time great
such as Stuart Hogg to be photographed alongside a living legend, like Easton Roy, has
got a lot going for it.
The
picture was taken at Mansfield yesterday, when Hawick were playing
Stirling County in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup.
When Hoggy Met Easton
ALLOW
ME to
say right at the start of this post – if ever a sports club was
shat upon from on high by the powers that be in their sport, that
club was Currie Chieftains, when their Super-6 application was booted
into the long grass by the SRU's incredibly-flawed: “we have to
look after the Establishment clubs” approach to the Edinburgh
franchises in Super-6.
Not
withstanding Ayr's feat in guaranteeing they will top the
regular-season Tennent's Premiership table, with one game to play,
the Malleny Park men, by holding onto their current placing, will be many observers'
choice as Team of the Season, in finishing second.
Former Ayr captain George McMillan's picture of current Ayr sipper Pete McCallum, leading from the front as Ayr beat Currie at Millbrae on Saturday
They
certainly played their full part in Saturday's seven-try spectacular,
when first entertained second in a Millbrae Scottish Cup
quarter-final clash which had everything. They forced Ayr to bring
their considerable A game to the table, and they did this without
flanker Thomas Gordon, on-duty with Glasgow Warriors in Cardiff,
influential lock Vince Wright, and under the direction of “Number
Three Coach” Andrew Binikos, standing-in for the absent Mark
Cairns, who of course took over mid-season when brother Ben was
transferred to Stirling County to take on leadership of their Super-6
franchise.
Some
of Currie's three-quarters play on Saturday was absolutely top drawer
and against other sides would surely have garnered a victory.
However, not for nothing is this Ayr defence rated the best in the
league, as they limited Currie's attacks to a mere three touchdowns.
Mind
you, Ayr are none too shabby with ball in hand themselves. One of
their tries, sparked by wingers Kyle Rowe and Paddy Dewhirst running
in tandem out of their own 22, before centre Danny McCluskey
finished-off the move with the try, was as good as you will see
anywhere.
But,
at the end of the day, pack power is often crucial and Ayr's big men
gave their backs the platform they needed. I don't know who will be
named Premiership Player of the Year come the end of season Awards
Night, but, if it isn't Ayr tight-head Steven Longwell, then that
winner, whoever he is, will have done well indeed.
Mikey Adamson, Scotland's current top referee was always in charge on Saturday, watched, from the second back row of the stand by our former top official - the great Allan Hosie
Finally,
in discussing this match, a word for those often-maligned men, the
match officials. Scotland's top active referee, Mike Adamson, was
in-charge here, and he did an immaculate job in controlling things
and enabling such a cracking cup tie. I am sure Mike will soon break
through that Waterford Glass ceiling to the top level of
international rugby.
Ayr
will now travel to The Greenyards, to face their old friends from
Melrose in the semi-final, while the other semi will pair Heriot's
and Hawick, following quarter-finals which saw the 'Rose bloom in the
second half in downing Watsonians, the Green Machine squeeze past
Stirling County and Heriot's travel down to Riverside Park to crush a
game Jedforest.
In
the National League Cup quarter-finals, Highland booked a last four
spot by crushing visitors Preston Lodge, Musselburgh were handed a
bye when Newton Stewart could not raise a team, Aberdeen Grammar put
Falkirk to the sword and Kelso, last season's beaten finalists,
easing past Kirkcaldy.
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