Club scene: Gossman brotheres spread wings

Sports Journalist

Wednesday 29 August 2012

It seems strange that Craig and Kerr Gossman had to leave Glasgow Hawks to spread their wings, but the talented brothers recognised there was no value in them remaining at Anniesland once their former club had been relegated last season.

Custom byline text:

Neil Drysdale

The duo have relocated to Ayr, both scored tries on their debuts in the RBS Premiership for the Millbrae club in a 38-22 win over Boroughmuir on Saturday, and have been galvanised by the prospect of pursuing such targets as qualification for the British & Irish Cup.

In the past, some players at Glasgow's elite clubs gave the impression they felt they could pick and choose fixtures in which to shine. Recently, there has been a transformation in attitude and the Gossmans embody it in mindset as much as anyone. Craig, at 23 the older of the pair by three years, was in Moscow over the summer, among Scotland's emerging sevens representatives, while Kerr has previously appeared for his country in the abbreviated game. Oblivious to the possibility of turning out for their homeland at the next Commonwealth Games, the pair are focused on the here and now and the pursuit of extra pace, power in attack, tenacity in defence . . . anything which might provide them with an edge over their peers."Moving to Ayr was a big decision, but I spoke to Kenny Murray [the coach] and was immediately impressed by the level of their ambitions," says Craig. "I think it can help my rugby, and it has also given me an opportunity to freshen up my career, because I was getting too comfortable in a familiar environment [at Hawks]. Last season was, hopefully, just a wee blip for Ayr [they finished sixth], but we know it is a long season, so we will have to work hard, stay fit, keep improving and help one another; there is a lot of competition for places."Kerr picked up the theme and ran with it, just as he has been doing on the pitch since he became attracted to rugby. Most people in his position would have been satisfied with Ayr's launch to their campaign, but Kerr admitted they had made a slow start, and appreciated they had to adapt quickly to the intensity of the club circuit."We are up against Dundee HSFP this weekend and they have made significant progress recently, so it will be tough, but that's the way it is in this league," he said. "They have good backs, such as Taylor Paris and Jack Steele, and have a lot of physical boys in their pack, so we will have to do our best to control the breakdown and step up on our efforts against Boroughmuir. But this is where I want to be, playing plenty of matches, building up my game time and my experience, and doing my best to improve."Ayr may be in transition, but the development of such luminaries as Scott Sutherland, Nick Cox and Calum Forrester, allied to the arrival of some of the brightest stars from Hawks, has clearly had a positive influence and the Dundee contest promises to be a battle of wills between two sets of fiercely committed individuals.

Contextual targeting label:

Sport

Commenting & Moderation

We moderate all comments on HeraldScotland on either a pre-moderated or post-moderated basis. If you're a relatively new user then your comments will be reviewed before publication and if we know you well then your comments will be subject to moderation only if other users or the moderators believe you've broken the rules, which are available here.

Moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours. Please be patient if your posts are not approved instantly.

Club scene: Gossman brotheres spread wings

Commenting & Moderation

MOST READ

SPONSORED LINKS

MOST COMMENTED