Biggar slump to defeat in penultimate league game

Mar 3 2011 by Andrew McGilvray, Hamilton Advertiser

BIGGAR’S five-game unbeaten run came to an end at Hillhead/Jordanhill on Saturday

Bizarrely, however, this was Biggar’s penultimate league match of the season and they now face a wait until April 2 for their final game.

Biggar went into the game without Charles Cochrane, Andrew Muir and John Hyslop, although Scott Watson and Matthew Hamilton were brought into the squad.

Youngster Hamilton quickly found himself in the starting XV, however, after captain David Reive was struck down by illness en route to the game.

An early Craig Parker penalty miss was followed by an Angus Twaddle penalty for Hillhead, the first of seven successful kicks from the full-back.

Parker slotted a second award but Twaddle was on target again after 20 minutes.

A period of pressure then saw Biggar given the advantage of a penalty but stand-off Conor Lavery instead sent in a drop-goal to tie at 6-6.

Twaddle added a third penalty but the lead was short-lived as Biggar returned to the attack.

A knock-on seemed to have been missed by the referee but a poor clearance was plucked out of the air by Salo Tutaia and his offload was taken by Jade Gardiner who sent Jason Kelly over for a great score.

Parker couldn’t add the conversion but Biggar were 11-9 ahead.

Tutaia’s involvement was then curtailed as he was yellow-carded for offside, his offence following a warning from the referee of the final sanction.

Twaddle kicked the subsequent penalty before a scuffle saw Gardiner join Tutaia in the sin-bin.

A Twaddle penalty stretching the home side’s lead to 15-11, then Hills grabbed Hill’s first try of the afternoon, converted by Twaddle.

Twaddle kicked another penalty and Hills were soon back on the attack and struck again going into the final quarter, with Nick McAuley rounding off a sustained period of play which saw the hosts hit and drive from right to left.

Biggar refused to meekly surrender, however, and two good breaks from half-backs Lavery and Iain Renwick took play deep into the 22.

Tutaia was on hand to round things off with a try which, after Parker’s drop-goal conversion, made the score 27-18.

However, Hills rounded off the scoring with a final Twaddle penalty.