Biggar v GHK Saturday 15th April 2023
Last league game of the season; Wrighty’s last game as coach; last road trip of the season; last chance to read a GHK Match Report from your correspondent.
A game of ‘lasts’ rather than ‘firsts’ then.
Prior to the match GHK had been given the good news that three of their finest: Messrs Angus Troop, Angus North alongside captain Ben Frame had received well-deserved call ups to the Glasgow and West squad for the relaunched Inter-District Championships taking place next month. Unfortunately, neither Angus was available along with a number of other first choice selections for the trip to Glasgow North’s most southerly club.
In the reverse fixture at Old Anniesland GHK had seemingly been in control of the match before a late slump turned what had looked like a comfortable home win into a disappointing defeat. There was a certain degree of familiarity here when with a quarter of the game to go GHK, whilst not ahead, had clawed themselves back into the game at only five points in arrears but, unfortunately for the visitors, this was a close as it got with the home side pulling well clear in the final twenty minutes to run out clear winners.
Both teams were keen to move the ball in the dry breezy conditions and it was GHK who struck first from what has proved to be a formidable weapon for them (and so many clubs) this season the line out and driving maul wit Paul Henderson, as has so often been the case, being the man to dot down with a fine conversion from captain Frame making it 7-0 after 13 minutes.
It took Biggar until the end of the first quarter of the match to secure their first points with some good handling leading to a score in the corner. 5-7
Injury had already taken a toll on the visitors’ ranks with captain Ben Frame restored to his more usual scrum-half berth having replaced starting nine Calum Woolard. Later, Frame’s starting centre partner, Joe Stafford would also revert to his more usual position in the back row and numerous other changes included an early period off the pitch for Leo Findlay, an early entry to proceedings from Gavin McKirdy who had made a long trip to answer the call and a change up front as Keiran Boles came on for Ryan Moore. These changes did little to enhance cohesion in the GHK ranks and no doubt were at least partly responsible for some of the defensive lapses that led to a few soft scores being conceded late on.
It was perhaps fitting, in Peter Wright’s last game in charge, that the referee played no small part in the game. It is sometimes said that if the referee annoys both teams and sets of spectators equally, he must be doing something right. In this game Biggar’s scrum became an increasingly dominant weapon with at least half a dozen penalties awarded against the GHK front row causing the home support to call loudly for a yellow card to be administered – which didn’t come about and for the GHK coach and players to question who was to blame for the succession of collapsed scrums. It was never going to change the referee’s mind and the string of scrum penalties continued unabated.
Half-time Biggar 12 GHK 7
Biggar added a further score early in the second half before GHK fought their way back into the game scoring a cracking effort of their own wit some crisp handling finished off by winger Max Woods. Sadly for the visitors 19-14 was as close as it the scores got with Biggar pulling away, scoring a further four tires without reply to make the final score 47-14.
No glorious finish for Coach Wright or the Old Anniesland team but plenty to be proud of in a season when player injury and unavailability resulted in an enormous number of players being called on to play in the 1st XV. Many will have gained valuable experience and there has been plenty for the GHK faithful to enjoy with sparkling rugby and some tremendously hard-fought victories in this higher level of rugby. There’s no doubt that the final mid table league position achieved would have been happily accepted at the season’s outset.
There is much to look forward to next season, not least of which is the prospect of local derbies following the demotion of GHA from the Premiership and the ‘miracle of New Anniesland’ as our nearest and dearest neighbours Glasgow Accies achieved promotion by the very narrowest of margins. Congratulations, Accies! Friday Night Lights, anyone?
I’ll spare you, dear reader, any further personal prognostications or partial opinions on this game or season and will simply add a final ‘last’ to the list in filing this, my final match report for the club.
Over and out.