Preston Lodge 19 October 2019

GHK were defending their undefeated home league record as Preston Lodge came calling to OA on Saturday. The East Lothian side had a record pretty similar to the hosts and last week’s victory over Stewarts Melville would have them in confident mood for their Glasgow trip.

Injuries to regular numbers one and fifteen in the GHK line up saw Andrew McCulloch and Danny Campbell sit this one out. Callum Brown and Blair Forsyth, both of whom played their part in last week’s close encounter at Peebles, started for GHK. Cammy Grant was due to make his first league start of the season but he was a Saturday morning call off due to illness.

GHK were attacking the pavilion end in the first half and they got off to a perfect start with scores from Ben Hutton and James MacKinnon in the first ten minutes. Right winger Hutton gathered a clearing kick in midfield, created space by dancing through a few tackles and then turned on the after burners to make it to the right hand corner. James was on the wrong end of an interception pass last week but on this occasion he was the predator, picking off a pass from the PL centre and making the line. A very nice ten point cushion for GHK.

The visitors came in to the game and at last spent some time in GHK territory. Their forwards carried well and protected possession. Outside, two formidable centres in the form of captain Jason Riley and Blair Robertson, kept the forward momentum going. Having set up camp close to the GHK line there was almost a sense of inevitability about the first PL score after a series of controlled, powerful drives. Like Jack Cuthbert, the Preston Lodge kicker did not have his radar finely tuned and the third score of the day was unconverted. 10-5 to GHK.

GHK were in a good attacking position when it was their turn to give the interception pass. As the PL centre charged towards the OA twenty two, in acres of space, it did rather look as though most of the home players had given up the chase as a lost cause. Not so that man Hutton. He caught the ball carrier maybe fifteen metres short of the GHK line and wrestled with his opponent until reinforcements arrived. Seven points saved for sure.

The PL drive from a line out and subsequent phases tested the GHK defence. The home tackling was sound and structured. When GHK got themselves in to PL territory, a penalty concession gave Jack Cuthbert a chance to add another three which he duly did. Late in the half, that man Cuthbert combined well with centre partner Cammy Hughes to send the skipper in under the posts for GHK’s third try of the day. A well worked score that made it GHK 20 PL 5 at half time.

They say that rugby is a numbers game. They also say that, at it’s heart, rugby is a simple game. Over complicate it and you can quite easily dig yourself in to a hole. Preston Lodge had started the second period quite briskly as you might expect of a side that required to get themselves back in to a game where one more score against them might put GHK out of range. However, the home side seemed to have weathered the storm only to concede a couple of quick fire scores that were born out of GHK basically getting themselves in a fankle. In other words, over complicating.  From nowhere it was a one point game with GHK having the slightest of advantages.

Thankfully for GHK, captain Cammy was on hand to settle matters down a little when, after a period of pressure in the PL twenty two, he crossed for his second try of the day. It was almost a carbon copy of his first with Jack Cuthbert instrumental in creating the space close to the line. Moments later a Jack Cuthbert penalty stretched the lead to eleven points as the game moved in to the last quarter.

GHK continued to have the edge in territory and possession and looked the likelier to claim the next score. A couple of decent opportunities were passed up and with five minutes to go PL clawed themselves back in to the game with a well worked try that was converted to seven points. Not another nervy last few minutes for the GHK followers surely?

In fairness, GHK did manage to play out this last moments with the visitors well out of the danger zone in terms of adding to their points tally. With PL becoming increasingly anxious, a penalty was conceded and with the last play of the day Jack Cuthbert popped over another penalty for the home side.

Final score GHK 33 Preston Lodge 26

Another bonus point win for GHK and PL go back east with two bonus points of their own. The return fixture in East Lothian on 29 February 2020 is likely to be another close run thing.

GHK player of the day, for the second week on the spin, for several moments of exceptional quality, step forward Ben Hutton. Another cracking eighty minutes. Top quality.

Next week sees cup action at OA with Caithness RFC the visitors on 26 October. Check the website for confirmation of the kick off time, but 3.00 is the time presently scheduled.