Considering the unusually long off-season, none but the most optimistic would have expected free-flowing, champagne rugby straight out of the gate. What the game against HK Scottish lacked in fluidity was more than made up for in terms of endeavour and commitment however, as both teams probed each other’s defences during the opening quarter, neither able to find the key to unlock them. Although appearing to be evenly matched is most areas of the game, there were early signs of scrum superiority for Sandy Bay that would be amplified as the game wore on. HK Scottish had suffered bad luck with front-row availability in the run up to the match but Sandy Bay were in no mood to show mercy, with Ben Featherston and Ash Hyde turning the screw early on before Zac Cinnamond and Jacob Rumball came on in the second half to continue in the same vein. Lineouts were less successful with both teams unsurprisingly unable to display the necessary precision and timing on the opening day given the condensed preparation this season.

Just as it looked like Sandy Bay would reach half time leading by two penalties to one, HK Scottish found some momentum which saw them set up camp on the try line. Stout defence was personified by Mark Prior’s man-and-ball try saving tackle but sustained pressure eventually led to Scottish touching down in the corner through Sam M’Boge, although the try remained unconverted. Ignoring the now regular haunting cries of a tortured goat (later confirmed to be bagpipes), Jack Metters was able to keep his composure with a penalty to allow Sandy Bay to sneak into the lead just before the half time whistle, following an unsuccessful howitzer attempt by Gair Currie from the half-way line.

Emerging unchanged from the first half, Sandy Bay began exerting increased pressure up front, effectively depriving Scottish of a solid platform from the scrum. This pressure eventually led to a sharp interception from Liam Slatem, touching down with two Scottish defenders trailing in his wake. This was followed quickly by another when Tom McQueen combined with Liam Slatem, whose chip through was smartly caught by Alex McQueen leading to a further seven points to the Bay.

Sandy Bay brought on Sean Casey as well as new imports Brendon Nell and Jamie Grist as the game began to open up with HK Scottish throwing caution to the wind. A momentary lapse in concentration led to a try for Scottish through replacement scrum-half Mark Coebergh which meant the remaining few minutes were not quite as relaxed as they might have been for Head Coach Brett Wilkinson.
When the final whistle came the mood was one of satisfaction rather than celebration; a well fought victory over a solid HK Scottish side but there were definitely hints that there was more to come.