HILLHEAD JORDANHILL 1^st XV 32 pts | Murrayfield Wanderers RFC 15 pts

ON A PERFECTLY STILL DAY stolen from the height of midsummer, Hills overturned a 5 points to 7 half time deficit to eventually defeat a dogged Murrayfield Wanderers side by 32 points to 15 to secure a bonus point win in the opening league game of season 2019/2020.

The victory was based on sound defence and a willingness to run the ball from anywhere in the field. Hills were given a good lead by both the defensive and attacking skills of their back row in which Calum McLeod excelled in attack along with Conor Ferguson, while Olly Davidson was a very effective ball carrier in the loose. The physical strengths of the visitors pack foundered on the static strength of Hills tight head Nick McAuley, but the hosts were second best on the touchline despite the best efforts of Blair Colvin and captain Conor Ferguson.

There was little between the sides in the first half with Angus Twaddle touching down in the corner and Murrayfield coming back by means of an interception in the Hills twenty two. After the break, Angus Twaddle eased his side ahead with a penalty goal and Hills then looked to take the upper hand with the catalyst being stand-off Rory Harte’s mercurial skills and in particular his side step. He literally led the visitors’ defence a dance, and no- one could put a hand on him. Somewhat unusually for the modern game, the Hills stand-off scored three tries, each of which fullback Angus Twaddle converted. The fullback added a penalty goal to his tally, but Murrayfield could add only a try and penalty goal to their half-time scores.

Hills then ran out winners from this absorbing contest and, by virtue of their four tries, added a bonus point to their four points win. Hills kept going well in what were enervating conditions for the first match of the season, and they will need to maintain their fitness reserves in what will be a long and occasionally unforgiving season of travel.

Next Saturday 14^th September, Hills travel to Forfar for their first ever fixture with the newly promoted Strathmore side, KO 15:00.

HJRFC 1st XV 14 pts | GHK 1st XV 38 pts

DESPITE ALL THE RECENT DELUGES, the playing surface at Hughenden was in excellent order for this west end derby in the preliminary round of the National Cup. Playing with the breeze and up the slope in the first half, Hills competed well, reaching the interval only one score behind at 14 -19. But GHK bossed the second half to run out convincing winners 38 -14, although Hills handicapped themselves by having both Blair Colvin and Rory Harte in the sin bin.

The first competitive game of season 2019-20 was notable for the return of two Hughenden favourites, the mercurial Angus Twaddle at full back and the gargantuan Nick McAuley at tight-head prop. Both franked their performances with influential roles in Hills first points. Alex Gibbons at scrum half harried well to pounce on loose ball, Rory Harte threw out a massive miss pass which McAuley gobbled up to barrel over the line. Angus Twaddle converted brilliantly from tight on the left hand touchline and the Hills were 7 points up. But GHK were stung into action and came back strongly to lead by 12 points to 7 after 30 minutes. Then some Rory Harte magic opened up the game with a clever kick into open space which Graham Davidson played football with to dribble across the line and score. Angus Twaddle converted to take “Hills” 2 points ahead but GHK hit back with a fine converted try just on the break.

The second half was tough going for the Hills even with a full complement on the field. The hosts defended well however, being seen only rarely in attack, but frailty again on the touchline mitigated against some promising field positions.

This was a well contested game against a side from a higher league, and the additional match fitness gained should help Hills when they play their opening National 3 league game vs Murrayfield Wanderers at Hughenden on Saturday 7th September with a 15:00 KO. We hope to see you there.

Hillhead Jordanhill 31 points | Orkney 12 points

ON A FINE SPRING MORNING, watched by a sizeable crowd of former players attending the 30^th anniversary lunch, Hills end of season revival continued in their defeat of a spirited Orkney side by three goals and two tries to one goal and one try. Hills excelled in the first half with their willingness to play an open game, playing up the slope to the clubhouse end. Although Orkney enjoyed scrum domination in the first forty minutes, they were unable to stitch together many periods of continuity play such was the commitment and first time tackling of the Hills midfield and fringe defences. Scrum half Alex Gibbons was the catalyst for Hills first score when he stole Orkney ball at the base of a scrum to initiate a long range attack with the ball being handed well by the three quarters to take play into the Orkney twenty two. Open side Scott McMiillan then drove on, offloading to no. 8 Conor Ferguson who then expertly fed inside for rampaging second row Chris Warnock to crash over the line unopposed. Rory Harte’s conversion rattled the post, but the Hills were up and running. Their second try was not long delayed and Rory Harte was the prime mover here, first of all feeding the insatiable Chris Warnock who made a large dent in the Orkney defensive line. Quick repossession from the ruck allowed Rory space on the blind side to float a long pass to unmarked right winger Ash Rajasooriya to score in the corner. Rory Harte added the goal points with a fine conversion across the face of the posts. Some slack play from the Hills pack in their own half then allowed Orkney into the game and they scored a rather easy try to the left of the posts but missed the conversion. This stung the Hills back into action and several sweeping movements up the slope with Preston “Mighty Atom” McGoldrick, Craig Colvin and the ubiquitous Chris Warnock all influential allowed Scott Halliday sufficient room to squeeze over the in the left hand corner to score. On the balance of play, the half time score of seventeen points to five was fair.

Any hopes that Orkney harboured of narrowing the gap between the sides quickly evaporated at the start of the second half. An intense Hills attack in the visitors’ twenty two with “The Mighty Atom” and Scott McMillan prominent produced some desperate defensive work from Orkney. A clearance kick was charged down by the alert Rory Harte who picked up the loose ball to score and then convert his own try. Hills now had their four try bonus point, but they continued to chase hard for more points. Once again quick distribution stretched the visitors defence but Jonny Hamilton-Potter still had some work to do before he could touch down for his side’s fifth and final try of the game. Rory Harte added goal points to take his side to thirty one points to seven ahead with the game entering the final quarter. Orkney however remained determined to make some mark on the game and finally found some form to put together some pleasing phases of continuity play to pressurise the home defence. Hills did not help their cause with two players being sent to the bin, but although Orkney added a try which they converted, the Hills were out of sight and the game finished with referee Greg Cameron’s whistle blowing up with a score of thirty one points to twelve in their favour.

This was a much happier Hills performance than those served up during the bleak midwinter months when nothing seemed to go right. Now the 1^st XV squad and their coaches, Dean Kelbrick and Graham Blackhall, can look forward with some confidence to the final two games of the 2018/2019 season, both away. On the 30^th March the 1^st XV play Murrayfield Wanderers at Roseburn Gardens while on the 6^th April they play at Memorial Field against old rivals, Ardrossan Accies.

Hillhead Jordanhill 33 points | Caithness 6 points

IN A MUST-WIN GAME for the home team, Hills responded to poor weather conditions and a stuffy visiting Caithness side to record a fine thirty-three points to six victory and thereby secure five valuable league points in their quest to maintain national league rugby status at Hughenden. The first half found Hills playing up the slope and they were quickly into their stride with captain and full back Craig Colvin showing the way with some excellent broken play running. Bill “The Ballyclare Bruiser” Kenny drove play into the visitors twenty-two where, after three quick recycling activities, Captain Colvin crossed for the opening try with right winger Rory Harte converting.

The dynamic opening, combining hard running with ball in hand and quick repossession from the breakdown, was a prominent feature of Hills play for most of the opening forty minutes and little scope was available to Caithness to counter-attack. When they did, Hills’ first up tackling, particularly around the fringes of the breakdown, was imperious with Alec Cameron the chief defensive enforcer. Scott Halliday added a second close-range try with Rory Harte converting and the mercurial right winger added a third when he ghosted through an all-but-invisible gap in the Caithness defence to score between the posts. The conversion was a formality and Hills were twenty-one points up and seemingly cruising, but Caithness, in a very rare excursion to the Hills’ danger area, opened their score with a well-struck penalty goal on the stroke of half time.

The third quarter saw Hills lose two players to the bin and subsequently assume a siege mentality to keep the visitors out. Once again Hills defended wilfully, but Caithness kicked another penalty goal and tensions began to mount on the field and among the animated home support. The return to a full complement and a change in the shape of the midfield engineered by deputy coach Douglas Grove restored equilibrium. Rory Harte took over the pivotal role at 10 and Jonny Hamilton-Potter added direction to the HIlls attack. The fourth try relied exclusively on Rory Harte’s field craft. An attacking play took the game into the Caithness twenty two when the stand-off looked up, saw a gap in the visitors cover, chipped ahead into the space and beat the defenders to the touch down. His magnificent conversion, across the face of the wind from the right hand touch line, was an impressive further contribution to his personal triumph. Hills then saw out the rest of the final quarter in some degree of comfort. Caithness were by now visibly tiring, and Hills held on to the ball well. Some excellent box kicking from scrum half Alex Gibbons kept the visitors in their twenty-two and from a series of rucks in which replacement Moncere was prominent, Gibbons scored the teams fifth try in the corner.

This game produced the first four try bonus point for Hills since the 16th November, some seven national league fixtures ago. Hills winter of discontent is, however, far from over. Three games remain and the situation is so tight at the foot of NL3 (three clubs are relegated) that two of these three games carry the same significance as this in being must-win fixtures. Hills next game is against ARDROSSAN ACADEMICALS at Memorial Field, Ardrossan, on the 16th March with a 14.00 KO.

Hills 1st XV

15 Craig Colvin (C)

14 Rory Harte (Ash Rajasooriya)

13 Scott Halliday

12 Damien Gennochio (James Hamilton-Potter)

11 Albain De Chaille (Damien Gennochio)

10 Hugo Gesta (Rory Harte)

9 Alex Gibbons

1 Adam Eakin

2 Harry Perston

3 Martyn Low (Mylo Connell)

4 Alec Cameron (Hy Moncere)

5 Bill Kenny

6 Conor Ferguson

7 Scott McMillan

8 Preston McGoldrick

(Subs all used)