League tables are the closest most of sports fans get to being mathematicians, as this season of sport unfolds the table becomes a thing with a life of it’s own. Almost independent of the physical events it records, almost an end in itself rather than a tool by which success and failure is measured.

For those who follow sport online or on Sky, you get the league “as it stands” an in “real time” reckoning of where events stand at that point of time, during live matches, almost disregarding the time on the clock.

Last Saturday’s final day saw a three way tie at the top of the table of the Six Nations’ Championship at the kick-off of Wales’ match against Italy in Rome. The only certainty was that Scotland and Italy were bit players. As the day unfolded, the BBC displayed the table.

As events kicked-off in Murrayfield, Wales stood top and then we watched, both players and fans, as Ireland mercilessly changed the face of the table going past Wales, in real time demolishing Scotland on the park and breaking Welsh hearts away from it..

England could then look at the table and see what they had to do, coming close, losing ground, coming back again. The table as much as the match contributed to the drama of the day.

You cannot mention Manchester City beating Manchester United to the English football championship after 93 minutes and 20 seconds of the last match without seeing that the table had a life of it’s own that day.

So to Saturday’s rugby at Malleny Park, there are some brutal mathematics going on in the BT Premiership. Hawks needed either a Bonus Point win against Currie to tie with Muir in the league and as Muir had a much poorer points difference, they would avoid a play-off.

Any other result made next week’s match against County the match that would decide both sides’ fates, with Hawks absolutely needing the win.

The table tells us something else, Hawks have the tightest defence in the league, fact, but it also tells us that the Hawks are the 2nd lowest scorers, 2nd only to relegated Edinburgh Accies. In defeat to Currie at Malleny, the match was almost a summation of the overall experience of the previous league campaign.

On a day when a strong wind blew across Scotland, damn those narrow Isobars, kicking was at best unpredictable, at worst simply impossible. An early Hawks penalty attempt signalled an end to that point’s route.

In the early exchanges there was a lot of huffing and puffing as both sides kept the ball in hand, Hawks had the wind at their backs and used it to some effect clearing their lines, but in the end it was the small short runs which were the order of the day and Hawks looked as if they could absorb these all day long as they had much of the season. Well the table told us as much, didn’t it?

In 19 minutes Currie conceded a penalty under some pressure when they didn’t roll away from the tackle following a desperate scramble.
The next move was vintage Hawks, Jack Steele kicked the penalty into the corner. Jack Macfarlane found Andrew Davidson with the lineout ball. The big lock was surrounded by his comrades in the pack as they mauled it to the line and then Fin Gillies secured the opening try, simple and beautifully effective.

With 60 minutes to go, the “as live” League table had Hawks 8th a couple of points ahead of County and a point behind Boroughmuir. Another 3 tries like that and league status would be secure.

Of course this mathematical equation was neglecting one ingredient, Currie’s own ambitions for a play-off spot at the other end of the table. Currie had the bulk of possession in the second quarter but Hawks were leaving them in no doubt as to the exact reason they were the meanest defence in the league. But eventually, the men from Balerno took the opportunity of their own catch and drive as James Semple put them into the corner for the lineout which was mauled across for skipper, Ross Weston to touch down.

At half-time, the live table had Hawks tied with County on points but 8th on points difference, still needing a result next Saturday, Currie however were falling short of their own dreams and Gala were still bound for Goldenacre.

Early pressure from Currie suggested that they saw their goal in sight. In 43 minutes, they put Hawks under pressure and the back-line burst forth with the ball reaching right wing, Ruaridh Smith who darted over for his side’s second try.

Now the table was stark as Currie were in pole position for the win and the prize they attached to that. Hawks reality, needed them to pick up the pace.

The reaction of Hawks' players was immediate and fierce they worked their way into Currie’s 22 and the home side conceded some desperate penalties before centre, Robbie Nelson, received a yellow card in 51 minutes.

Hawks were awarded a penalty about 10 metres from Currie’s goal-line, they opted for the scrum. Putting the Currie pack under pressure Hawks edged forward allowing Tommy Spinks to execute a pick up and run round for the tying try.

The scores tied with almost 30 minutes to go Hawks knew that another two tries, would give them the league safety they sought Currie were desperately looking for a score, any score, to get that tie with Heriots. The league table loomed in the background and yet both sides engaged in a titanic struggle which neither looked like winning.

As the final whistle approached at Hawks’ player, conceded a penalty just in side of the visitors’ 22. After an afternoon of futile kicking, Semple seemed to have the chance to settle it with a straightforward pot at goal.

He set the ball, held by a colleague, stepped back and left as he lined up the short kick and the ball sailed in the wind, goalward. As it went it drifted left, he had missed as it struck the upright firmly. It seemed Hawks had held on to the draw, but Semple had other ideas.

As the ball came back into the field of play, he deftly caught it, others might have made a burst for the line but he glanced to his right and put a 20 metre pass to Smith who was lurking on the wing allowing him the winning touchdown. It was a score as strange as it was unexpected.

So, what does the table say? It says that next Saturday, Hawks and Stirling County will play the last match of the season with much to play for and whilst neither will be automatically relegated from the league, the winner will be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

The table may have a life of it’s own at times but, for these two teams, after 89 league matches, this final 90th fixture will define both their seasons. For Hawks an 18 match season with hundreds of hours of training, will be distilled into 80 minutes next Saturday.