Ayr 15 - 13 Hawick: Statesmanlike McNeil stoic as luck deserts brave Hawick

GIVEN the Greens giants who have gone on from Hawick to the South, Scotland and the Lions, it would be long odds against current Hawick captain Bruce McNeil featuring in any All-Time Hawick XV. However, in defeat here he gave a performance which immortals like Renwick, McLeod, Deans, Tomes, or Grant, might have struggled to emulate.

He was immense, even becoming Willie Milleresque in his advice to referee Charles Samson. McNeil had every right to be “gutted” at the end; such performances ought not to be denied victory.

“We need a win for our own confidence,” he said.

“We more than held our own, but, we had no luck. However, I asked the boys to man up and we did, now we have to build for the Premier B fixtures to come.”

If McNeil was upbeat in defeat, Ayr coach Kenny Murray was unhappy, albeit diplomatically. “Hawick were feisty, fiery and up for it – we were not. We didn’t front-up.”

Adding to Hawick’s sense of injustice, Ayr director of rugby Jock Craig admitted: “The better team lost.”

The home team led from their first incursion to the Greens’ 22; the recalled Cammy Taylor gathering AJ MacFarlane’s grubber to saunter over for a try, converted by Robbie Fergusson.

Two Neil Renwick penalties brought Hawick back to one point behind, the second of these following Gordon Sykes’ yellow carding. But, short-handed, Ayr stretched away to lead 12-6 at the break courtesy of a superb show-and-go solo try by 18-year-old Fergusson.

Hawick moved up a gear at the start of the second half and not even a 48th-minute yellow card for Colin Ritson, a 39th-minute replacement for the injured Renwick, could damp their fires. Six minutes later, the forwards drove Keith David over, Gary Johnstone converted and Hawick led by a point.

Ayr struggled to get back until a second Hawick yellow, for prop Rory Sutherland, gave them impetus and six minutes from time, the match-winning penalty was goaled by Sylvain Diez.

Scorers: Ayr: Tries: Taylor and Fergusson; Conversion: Ferguson; Penalty goal: Diez. Hawick: Try: Davis; conversion: Johnstone; Penalty goals: Renwick (2).

Ayr: G Anderson; S Manning, M Stewart, R Dalgleish, C Taylor, R Fergusson, AJ MacFarlane; S Fenwick, H Wesnewski, G Sykes, B MacPherson, C White, J Willis, A Dunlop, G Fisken. Substitutes used: Andrew MacFarlane, C Davidson, R Doneghan, S Diez, M McConnell.

Hawick: G Johnstone, G Desport, R Hutton, G Hogg, C Russell, N Renwick, G Cottrell; R Sutherland, H Scammell, S Linton, M Robertson, B Keown, N McTaggart, K Davis, B McNeil. Substitutes used: L Gibson, S Graham, J Tinlin, C Ritson.

Referee: C Samson.