Bulls shuffle the pack to discover winning formula

Dec 13 2007

HAMILTON faced Haddington last Saturday knowing a major improvement in recent form was necessary if they were to take anything from the match and remain out of the Scottish Hydro Electric Premier 2 relegation zone.

And their 19-12 victory was testament to their renewed spirit.

Sixth placed Haddington were making their first ever visit to Laigh Bent.

The Bulls lined up with an unchanged front eight but yet again coach Ian Morrison shuffled his back division with only club captain Allan Dodds at full back and centre Robbie Hooper playing in the same position as last week.

Elsewhere in the backs Ronald Strydom moved back to scrum half, Craig Sangster moved to ten, Alistair Smith was restored to centre with Craig Inglis and Stuart Bartwicki on the wings.

As the weather worsened, both sides were struggling to keep hold of the ball.

In the early exchanges both sides kept it tight using the boot to seek the safety of the touch line keeping the ball boys Ross McQueen and Michael Mullen busy collecting and drying the balls.

Their efforts were well received by Hamilton number two Ralph McInally who was regularly finding his jumpers Ally Marshall and Matt Gray in the early lineouts.

In one of their first forays into the visitors’ half, Hamilton got the first points on the board.

The move started with a Haddington lineout on their 10-metre line.

Craig Harrison throw found Ross Martin. His tap to his scrum half Sam Johnson let the ball be moved along the three-quarters.

Hamilton’s Hooper and Smith moved up quickly putting their opposite numbers under pressure.

Gray recovered the ball for the Bulls only for Nico Maybury to stop him illegally giving Strydom an opportunity from 28 metres out.The South African struck the ball well and the Bulls led 3-0.

Calum Mark and Donald Snodgrass both had good runs for the visitors but the back row of David Gemmell, Bart Karalus and Andy Thomson were putting in some excellent tackles.

But on 12 minutes the Haddington pressure paid off with a score under the posts although there was a hint of a knock-on. The conversion put the visitors 7-3 ahead.

Hamilton restored their lead three minutes later again the move came from a lineout. Haddington having put the ball out on their 10 metre line faced McInally’s throw.

He accurately threw to the tail where Marshall caught and released to Gray.

The big number five took the ball into the middle of the park but Caulfield and Tom Bowie put him to the ground. The Hamilton pack arrived in support and the ball was recycled back.

Strydom found Sangster with his pass and the stand off cut inside Garry Harrison as he raced upfield. Sangster off loaded to Karalus and the wing forward beat the remaining defenders to race in and score.

Strydom was just wide with the kick leaving the Bulls leading 8-7.

Hamilton were dominating the lineouts with Marshall and Gray winning their own ball and disrupting much of their opponents.

Gibbon got the second half underway and it was Hamilton who began to have territorial domination. As the sleet fell both sides were keeping the ball tight moving it forward through the pack but Sangster was using the boot intelligently putting cross kicks for Bartwicki, Inglis and Dodds.

Haddington were struggling to get out of their half and on the first occasion they did, Gibbon kicked ahead only for the ball to go out over the dead-ball line giving Hamilton a scrum back on the halfway. McInally took the strike and Bengy Barsanti picked up.

He fed to Sangster and the stand off played it out to the backs. Smith moved it on to Dodds.

The full back drew his man then fed left to Inglis. The young winger went down the left wing cutting back inside.

He set the ball back well and the Hamilton pack drove through the middle winning a penalty on the 22 metre line in front of the posts.

Again Strydom’s kick was accurate as he extended the lead to 11-7. The referee then penalised Haddington for going over the top and Strydom took the score to 14-7 with another well struck penalty.

Haddington struck back immediately from the restart with a try but missed although the Bulls were now only 14-12 ahead but in the dying minutes Sangster sealed the game with a try.

With the Hamilton 2nd XV beating Livingston very comfortable by 53-3 and the thirds winning 41-0 against Cumbernauld, there was much to celebrate in the clubhouse on Saturday evening.