Border Telegraph | Sport | 'Pros should play more often' says coach

Friday, 5th December, 2008

Published: Wednesday, 24th September, 2008 09:00

'Pros should play more often' says coach

By Atholl Innes

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HAWICK coach Jim Hay has called for pro players to be made available more often to their clubs.

Hay was speaking in the wake of his side’s 42-15 win over Selkirk on Saturday at Mansfield Park.

And after a game in which prop Bruce McNeil was a key player, not only with his scrummaging, but also his brace of tries.

“It is good to have the pro players, but we are at the mercy of the pro teams, and I would like to think we would get quite a lot of game time from them,” he said.

“It showed last year with Geoff Cross playing for us and he has gone on to become a better player.

“You have got to let those boys play week in, week out to give them a bit of rugby. With the weights and the training they are doing every day, they get better and better and it helps the inexperienced boys in our side.

“This was our fourth game and we have had one pro and they make a huge difference. It is great to have them and they bring a special edge to the game, especially a prop.”

Hawick were not alone in having a pro player only once. Selkirk were able to call on hooker Sean Crombie in their win over Melrose a week past Saturday, but they had no pro on Saturday.

Supporter John Wands told me: “I think it is a good idea to have the pros. But why should Hawick have one and Selkirk none, or as in the week before, Selkirk one and Melrose none?”

This weekend, Hawick are on the road looking to build on Saturday’s win when they travel to Boroughmuir.

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