Pre season tests are just that, especially when a number of availability issues test the strength in depth of the Bulls squad.
When you have Championship opposition the opportunities are there to show what you are capable of at the highest level but also to show what is needed to compete for the full eighty minutes against opposition that will exploit any drop off in intensity.

The Bulls started very well by preventing Watsonians from touching the ball for virtually a full thirteen minutes and taking the opportunity after four minutes, to break the line and send Robert Brown between the posts for the first try of the match. Andy Wilson scored the conversion and the Bulls continued with their uninterrupted procession. A lot of penalties against the championship team allowed Hamilton lots of possession and territory but despite good structure and patience it was difficult to finish off the good work, with more points.

Watsonians woke up eventually when Hamilton finally gave up possession with a penalty in the middle of their half. This allowed the visitors to gain territorial advantage for the first time and it did not take long after few attacks at the Hamilton line to send their winger over to score.

The young Hamilton squad seemed to loose some defensive structure and it was only minutes before Watsonians added to their first converted try, with another. It started to look like a it might be a long day for the Hamilton team and there appeared to be a dip in the early confidence shown by the Bulls.
As the half moved on, there was a period of one way traffic as the Bulls struggled to get their hands on the ball. Watsonians showed some of the class you would expect of last seasons National 1 Champions and while, over the half, the possession statistics evened out, the difference in this phase of the game, was that Watsonians managed to use their procession to great effect. By the half time whistle they had added a further 5 trys, converting 2 of them. Scoring the last of these on the stroke of half time, the Bulls went into the half time chat with plenty to discuss.
Half time Score was 7-50

Some changes of personnel and some belief installed in the team from the coaches saw a different Hamilton team take to the park for the second half. Watsonians were perhaps a bit complacent but from the restart no one claimed the kick off and Joe Rewadi managed to take the ball cleanout the air and make it to the Watsonian 22m line before being taken down.
The structure shown in the first period returned and with a solid five minutes of playing through the phases Hamilton created the chance for Andy Wilson to get over the line in the corner to score the teams second try. With a very wide angle, he unfortunately just missed the conversion.
The game became more of a contest with the Bulls challenging the visitors defence on several occasions and Watsonians also taking their chances to put Hamilton under pressure. Despite defending well most of the time, the Bulls occasionally got caught too deep in defence, which allowed some of Watsonian's big runners to build up speed before the contact, forcing some big tackles in return. Unfortunately big tackles take longer to get up from and on one occasion Hamilton got caught short allowing Watsonians to gain their first try of the half.
From the restart, again, Hamilton grasped the ball out the air, as Lee Haughey secured ball and managed to take the ball well into Watsonian territory. Hamilton managed to retain possession and confidently keep the pressure on the visitors within their 22 metre line. With only three minutes passed from the Watsonian's try and after a foray down the left wing, Anthonie Malley popped up in the corner to carry the ball over the line for Hamilton's third score. Andy Wilson, starting to get the measure of the wide shots at goal, converted, to take Hamilton's points tally to 19.
The final try of the game came shortly after Hamilton's try as Watsonians once again managed to break the Bull's defence but this time they had to go round the outside as they exploited an overlap and scored in the corner. This evened up the number of trys for the half.
The last seventeen minutes continued to be an affair with both teams coming close to the opposition lines but neither managing to finish of with any further scoring.

As the game came to a close, what had become apparent, was that when the Hamilton team had belief in themselves and their own abilities, they could deliver a performance against stiff opposition. With a lot of these young players having featured in the 2nd XV last season, a similar vein of growing into games was evident, when confronted by opposition teams with a big name. As the game finished, the score of 19-57 did perhaps not reflect the fact that the Bulls did compete with a team in the league above them for large periods of the game. The game did show however that when the Bulls believe in the game plan and their systems then we all have a season of exciting rugby to look forward to.

'There were encouraging signs from the extended squad of 23, barring a second quarter lapse in confidence the young Bulls controlled the last years Nat 1 champions for long periods. It was good for us to experience the level we need to attain throughout this seasons league campaign.'
David Gemmell
Head Coach