THE streets of Hawick might have been empty yesterday afternoon, but the Borders town will be even more subdued today as returning supporters reflect on their side's failure to make any impact in this BT Cup final.
Hawick brought the expected pride and passion, but they also brought a game that was shot through with flaws. Their handling was lamentable at times, and it probably flattered them that they got within 40 points of Boroughmuir.
For their part, the Edinburgh side played quick, precise rugby and they ripped huge holes in their opponents' defence. They collected eight tries and could have had even more.
The Boroughmuir backs ran with pace and menace, but the game was won up front as their pack pulverised Hawick in every phase. Hawick looked leaden in the pack and seemed to be playing on tired legs from the start.
"We started well and we just kept building," said Boroughmuir coach Bruce Aitchison. "When we got points we didn't lose our shape and we managed to find space. Physically, our conditioning suited that pitch and we were able to keep going.
"Because we got off to a good start we could just keep building and building. Hawick really struggled to make any inroads. Their forwards were up against it a bit and their backs, who were threatening, weren't given a platform to perform. We knew we had to cut them off at source and our forwards did that very well."
Boroughmuir also got maximum value from their three professional players: fly-half Carl Bezuid- enhout, prop Simon Berghan and No 8 Magnus Bradbury. Bezuidenhout kicked five conversions and a penalty, while Berghan and Bradbury both claimed tries.
At times, there was an impression that Boroughmuir had an unfair advantage in that regard, but Hawick coach Nikki Walker took a rather more fair-minded view. "The professional draft involves a bit of luck, and Boroughmuir were lucky that the guys they got have really bought into their way of playing," said Walker. "They've taken on the culture of the club, which is exactly what you want from your professionals.
"Fair play to them. We don't hold anything against Boroughmuir. Those guys have played for the club all season so why shouldn't they get the opportunity to play in the final?"
Boroughmuir had the game all but sewn up inside the first half-hour. From the start, it was clear the Borders side were out of sorts.
With barely three minutes gone, scrum-half Johnny Adams had nipped in for their first try and the points rattled up at a rate close to one per minute in that opening 30 minutes.
The second try came from Bradbury, who thundered over in the 22nd minute. Three minutes later, winger Grant McConnell finished off a slick move that had featured Craig Marshall and Sep Visser, with Bradbury delivering the fourth soon afterwards.
Scott McLeod, the Hawick winger, crossed in the 31st minute, but it was a brief interruption to the general flow of the game, and it was rendered irrelevant when Berghan scored Boroughmuir's fifth shortly before half time.
The second half was only ever going to be a damage limitation exercise for the Mansfield Park side. They kept Boroughmuir out for most of the third quarter, but normal service was resumed when Mike Entwhistle went over for the sixth Boroughmuir try as the hour mark loomed.
To their credit, Hawick summoned the energy for one last act of defiance when they sent Ross Gibson in for a try in the 70th minute.
In the closing minutes, Visser and Iain Moody went over to complete the rout. Captain Andrew Rose collected the trophy and the celebrations began. By then, a good number of the Hawick faithful had already begun their trudge home.
Hawick: L Armstrong; D Graham, N Walker, J Coutts, S McLeod; R Hutton, G Cottrel; S Muir, R Graham, M Landels, M Robertson, M McKee, N McTaggart, R Scott, B McNeil. Subs used: L Gibson, N McLennan, W Blacklock, K Davies, R Gibson, S Goodfellow.
Boroughmuir: C Marshall; G McConnell, S Visser, D Reekie, J Edmunds; C Bezuidenhout, J Adams; R Wilson, C Davies, S Berghan, T Sutton, A Best, T Sutton, A Rose, M Entwistle, M Bradbury. Subs used: S Bingham, J Latta, S Johnson, C Laidlaw, C Keddie, R Broadford, I Moody.
Referee: S Grove-White
Attendance: 10,074
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