Lasswade 35 RHCougars 10

Promoted as runners up from East Region, RHC continued their winning ways through the first four games of this League but stumbled last week at home to a narrow defeat at the hands of Preston Lodge.

If they were hoping for a happier day out at Hawthornden, then they were sorely disappointed. They came up against a Hawthornden squad in top form and firing on all cylinders. Having secured the try bonus before half-time, the hosts were perhaps only guilty of taking their foot off the attacking pedal leading to a 7-7 tie in the second period.

Kicking off on a firm well-groomed pitch with only the gentlest of Rosewell breezes their backs, Cougars drew first blood from a penalty just inside the Lasswade half. Morrison’s conversion showed the dangers of infringing anywhere in your own half, but unfortunately for RHC they were seldom even that close for much of the rest of the game.

From the restart it was RHC doing all the defending as the hosts strung together extended sequences of possession in Cougar territory using both backs and forwards. Within 10 minutes the defence cracked and Dougie Hearn grounded just wide of the posts. Clarke was on song with the conversion and, indeed with the further four conversion opportunities to come.

The pounding and controlled interplay between all fifteen continued and six minutes later Blair Smith showed brilliant hands to retrieve a pass heading for his toes and break through three tacklers to touch down near the corner.

Cougars had not simply turned up and closed up some of the gaps for the next quarter of an hour but a misdirected clearance kick landed them in further trouble. Fielded by Andy Hall on his own ten metre he evaded tackles long enough for support to arrive and set up a ruck on the centre spot, From scrum half, Clark spotted a half gap and jetted through on a beeline to the posts without a hand laid on him.

Going into first half stoppage time and still on the back foot, the shell shocked Cougars scrum was turned over 10 metres from their line and the ball was whisked wide to the opposite wing with Blair Smith touching down in the corner. A perfect strike by Clarke completed the first half score of 28-3.

When RHC used the momentum of the restart kick to grab some territory and Hicks forced his way under the posts (converted by Morrison) it looked as if the fightback might have begun. Not so.

It was still the hosts’ day and as the hour approached the ref indicated a penalty on the RHC 22-metre but Lasswade recycled the “free ball” three times and used the advantage to the full when Sinclair finished off under the posts.

Clarke’s conversion rounded off a perfect kicking day for him but to the only slight disappointment of the support, his was the last score of the game, with Cougars unable to get back any further consolation in the last 20 minutes in spite of their best efforts.

On a day when the whole squad performed exceptionally, several players vied for Lasswade’s man of the match nomination. In contention were both Smiths, Dave Hall and Sinclair, but it was Dougie Hearn’s graft in the close encounters and elusiveness in the open that clinched the award for him.

Lasswade stay in fifth place but just three points behind Preston Lodge in second spot and part of a group of five clubs in close contest for that position behind a still unbeaten Dumfries Saints.

Lasswade travel to Dalziel this Saturday. The Ayrshire club hasrecorded only one win this season and that at home against the even less successful Dunfermline. Kick-off 3pm.