Gala capped a stunning season that has brought a return to the top flight when they outclassed Ayr in the RBS Cup final on Saturday.
It was a match which produced only occasional glimpses of the flowing rugby that is the hallmark of these sides, but nevertheless remained an engrossing affair.
Gala's last appearance at Finals Day helped launch the career of Chris Paterson. Since then the annual club rugby jamboree has also been the proving ground for others who have made their way into the professional ranks. Of those on show yesterday, Gala stand-off Lee Millar showed he has the potential to join them, running the show with an outstanding kicking performance that earned him the man of the match award.
There was agreement among the coaches that the best side had taken the trophy, with Gala's George Graham issuing a warning to other clubs by insisting that his team is still only in the early phase of its development. "We can get better. If we can keep them together I think we will get better," he said.
Kenny Murray, Ayr's head coach, cut a despondent figure, but remained typically magnanimous. "We were the second best team from the first to the 80th minute," he said. "I thought some players just didn't turn up. Gala were the better team – I thought they controlled the game well."
Gala were first to score when Millar knocked over a penalty after five minutes. The pace which the Borderers possess behind the scrum was evident as they unleashed their backs from deep positions. By contrast, Ayr were slow out of the blocks, although they squared matters nine minutes later when Ross Curle landed the equalising kick.
That was pretty much the sum of a nervy first quarter, with Gala looking the livelier of the two sides but Ayr comfortably nullifying their threat. However, Ayr's penalty count was mounting and when Curle strayed offside referee, James Matthew deemed it an offence too far brandished a yellow card.
Gala were instantly back on the offensive, with captain Opeta Palepoi bulldozing his way into contact. The ball was transferred swiftly to Craig Robertson, who displayed his pace to race in at the corner. Millar hammered over the touchline conversion to give Gala a merited lead.
Gala were then reduced to 14 men when prop Ewan McQuillin was sent off for 10 minutes following an offence at a ruck. Once again the impact was instant as an Ayr drive was repelled just short of try-line, but Denford Mutamangira was on hand to power over. Robbie Fergusson duly converted.
Gala made the better start to the second half but posed little threat to the Ayr line. The closest they came to adding to their points tally was a long-range penalty attempt by Millar that struck the posts. However, the central character remained the referee who flashed yellow for the third time when Andy Wilson tackled Robertson in mid air.
Matters deteriorated for the defending champions when Stuart Fenwick then earned 10 minutes on the sidelines for an offside offence in front of his posts. Millar slotted the resultant penalty then scored his fourth kick of the match after 59 minutes.
Curle was short with a 35-metre penalty and Millar responded with a lesson in the art of goal kicking as he extended Gala's lead to nine points. And there was no way back for Ayr when McQuillin atoned for his earlier misdemeanour as he applied the finishing touch following a secondary surge which shunted back Ayr's defence.
Millar missed the conversion but that was of little consequence as the Gala supporters kicked off their celebrations, to the accompaniment of the local brass band. Joining them in savouring the closing minutes was a remarkably calm Graham. "As soon as we got that second score, I knew we had won," he said. "It was just a matter of shutting them out."
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