"Son, in this world there are scrums. And in those scrums you need props. Are you willing to do it? As a prop, I have more responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You use words like `drunk` and `out of shape`; those words are the very backbone of a life I spent drinking and partying in, and you use them as a punchline. You weep for your wingers and centres, and you curse the prop forward. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that the front row, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, wins these games you play. Truth? You can`t handle the truth, because deep down in places you don`t talk about in your selection meetings, you want me in that scrum; you need me in that scrum. I neither have the time nor inclination to explain myself to a back who scores under the very blanket of ball retention that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just bought me a beer and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you crawl into that scrum and get dirty. Either way, I DON`T GIVE A DAMN who you think is responsible!" –Anon (With apologies to Aaron Soren)

A few years ago, the paragraph above, did the rounds on facebook (If you don’t know ask your grandchildren). It is a parody of a speech given by Jack Nicholson in “A Few Good Men”, but in parody is much truth and so the talk about Saturday’s match focuses on the props with no disrespect to the rest of the pack or the 7 men behind them.

At Raeburn Place yesterday a gargantuan struggle took place, the stakes were high but it was not the type of battle either side had foreseen way back in the summer, it was a battle to decide who was going to prop up the league.

A couple of weeks laid-off meant that Hawks had to sit back and watch rivals put points on the board as we slipped down the table. Going into the match Accies were 3 points behind and a win here was necessary to salvage their season. This is where the props stepped up. Every coach this season has spoken of the respect, and fear, that they have for the Hawks pack and in that there is a testament to the props.

Much has been written about the precocious talent of Zander Fagerson, who has already debuted in the professional ranks at a very young age. In Brendan Cullinane, the soft spoken Irishman from Knockeen in Waterford, there is a talented prop whose gentle occupation belies his ferocious attitude on the park. Then we have Steven Findlay and Gary Strain two “Steelmen” in the greatest tradition of their hometown club. These are the men who normally work so hard but receive few acknowledgement during the course of the season.

Phil Leck, Accies coach, commented after the game “Our scrum was destroyed and the Glasgow props had the upper hand over our front row all day. We were lucky they didn’t score more.”

From the side-lines the dominance was obvious when Accies lost prop, Liam Launders, and hooker, Michael Liness, to Yellow Cards, they appear relieved to get away from the one sided battle.

For all that Glasgow created a fantastic platform, the opening try came in quarter of an hour when, centre, Neil Herron intercepted the ball to run almost 50 metres for a try which was converted. Accies were under pressure for the whole match and even knocked on twice when they seemed certain to score. There were glimpses of talent from the Edinburgh side, but they seemed unable to buckle down to the dog-fight needed to scrap through this game.

Even when Hawks’ Tommy Spinks received a Yellow Card they couldn’t take advantage and home winger Jamie Farndale missed a second penalty of the afternoon.

Ironically, it was only after the home side had lost Liam Launders to the sin-bin, that they managed to get their only score of the match when winger Callum Ramm broke from deep to go over wide which allowed Farndale to tie the scores.

The pressure that the pack put Accies under forced the home side to concede a couple of penalties which gave George Horne the chance to open up a 6 point gap before half-time.

The second half gave the whole pack the reward for the pressure with a Penalty try after they put the home forwards under intense pressure on the 5 metre line. With just under half an hour to go it was clear that Hawks had won but the Edinburgh side should be given credit for the way they continued to battle.

With 8 minutes to go it was Horne’s turn to judge an interception and break free for his own try which he goaled.

The final whistle blew on a performance which simply saw Hawks put their opponents to the sword, almost closing the door on Accies battle to stay in the BT Premiership, but more importantly it showed exactly what the team can do and there is no reason why they can’t produce four more of the same.

The final words fall to, Assistant Coach, Peter Laverie who said of the props, "The scrum was working well, we've got the advantage of four good props so we can mix and match a bit but they stuck to their task really well and I thought Accies were under a lot of pressure come scrum time.”