Rugby: Hawick 10-26 Ayr

Ayr completed their Premiership programme with a confirmatory win over Hawick at Mansfield Park from a forward orientated performance dictated by the heavy conditions at the famous Borders ground.

The Millbrae men already top the league and so yesterday’s match was all about maintaining momentum ahead of the Cup semi finals and the play-offs. In the event Ayr’s trench warfare tactics were marginally better than those of Hawick, their heavier forward pack grinding out three of their four tries.

Hawick fielding several younger players, however, for much of the game gave as good as they got but their lack of heavyweights on the bench took its toll. The Greens in fact led 10-7 with a minute remaining in the first half from a try by Rory Hutton and the conversion and a penalty goal by Lee Armstrong.

But an angled run by Ross Curle gave the centre a try and conversion on the stroke of half time for a 14-10 lead. The half time lead was then extended when Ayr used their forward power to generate a try for Pete McCallum, Curle kicking his third conversion and then just before full time another effort by the pack created a try for the Glasgow scrum half Ali Price to complete the scoring.