Glasgow Hawks 20 - 5 Edinburgh Accies: Hawks use brawn to break down Accies

Ahead of this match the two teams were level pegging in the pool with one win apiece but the hosts fielded more muscle that Accies could cope with, even if they didn't always make it count.

Hawks eventually won a disjointed and scrappy match by three tries to one. Although the pitch held up well the game itself was marred by wind and rain of biblical proportions and the players on the field almost outnumbered the poor sodden spectators huddling together for warmth in the stand.

After the game Accies' new coach Simon Cross was reflecting on his side's defeat and surely the gulf in beef between the two teams must have been a cause for concern since promotion back to Premier One is Accies' main goal for the season with this cup something of a side line?

"I am not looking as far forward as next season," said the former Edinburgh flanker who was forced to retire from the professional ranks thanks to a catalogue of injuries. "We have a couple of huge league games coming up against Aberdeen Grammar and Gala in the next few weeks and that's our focus."

"I was proud of the way our guys played today because Hawks are a quality side. We have a good bunch of youngsters here and players like (tighthead) Kenny Blyth did well while (number eight) Tom Drennan coped with a lot of ball at the base of the scrum."

"A good big one will always beat a good little one but I felt we stuck to the task and, looking at the game, I don't think we missed one tackle out there this afternoon."

Cross was right about the attitude displayed by his team. The back row scrapped as though their lives depended on it and scrum-half Jonny Letham made a couple of shimmering breaks, but for all that Accies were always looking at a long afternoon from the moment fly-half Ruairdh Bonner hoofed the kick-off over the dead ball line for a scrum back to Hawks. Stuffy defence and the first use of a howling gale meant that the teams scored just one try apiece in the first half, scrum-half Peter Jericevich grabbing Hawks' and prop Johnny McSorley responding for the visitors.

Accies played much of the second half with 14 or even 13 men after losing four players to the sin bin as their increasingly desperate efforts to contain Hawks' big men led to a string of penalties at the breakdown.

Ross Miller eventually added a second try for the hosts from a pushover scrum and when the Hawks backline finally managed to string three or four passes together winger Sean Murray was on hand to finish off on the left. Hawks sit on top of pool F with nine points and just one more round of matches to play.

Scorers: Hawks: Tries: Jericevich, Miller, Murray; Con: Adamson; Pen: Adamson.Edin Accies: Try: McSorley.

Glasgow Hawks: Gossman; Murray, Kelrick, Milne, Hair (K Hamilton 55); Adamson, Jericevich; Smith, Milligan (Nyamba 65), Strain, Hamilto