On Saturday we were at home playing our fifth game of the new season against old Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield. They had an indifferent start to the season with just one win out of four. We were looking to build on our unbeaten start but knew that this could be a difficult challenge against a big physical outfit who carry hard and tackle hard. We had prepared well during the week with two quality training sessions and a great spirit within the squad. Head coach Scott Barrow looked to rotate the lineup with starts for props Ozzie Downham, Beltus Nonleh and scrum half Mason Winterburn. We started well taking the game to the visitors building phases and looking to build the ball wide hoping to stretch Huddersfield’s defence. However they kept us out each time and wasn’t until the tenth minute that we broke them down. A build up of phases in their twenty two was finished off by centre Joe Bedlow who broke through five tackles to touch down near the posts. Fly half Greg Smith added the conversion and we were 7-0 up. Two minutes later another patient build up where the ball went through a number of hands saw scrum half Mason Winterburn go over for our second converted try putting us 14-0 Up after just twelve minutes. We were now playing with pace and momentum and it was only five minutes later that right winger Tom Hesketh went over for our third converted try giving us a commanding 21-0 lead with most of the first half to go. Huddersfield to their credit came back with a well worked try for winger Charlie Foreman who went over in the bottom right hand corner. Fly half Thomas Scott added the conversion and they were now back in the game 21-7 with twenty minutes of the half to go. Our set piece play was excellent with a solid scrum and accurate line out which provided us with a great platform to launch our attacking plays and a lovely passage of play ended with centre Joe Bedlow go over for his second of the afternoon. Greg added the conversion and we were now 28-7 up with the four try bonus point secured. Huddersfield had put up a fierce resistance for the first twenty minutes of the game but they had no answer to the pressure that the Tigers put on them every time they had posession. The first half finished with a great try for captain Connor James who went over in the top right hand corner. Half time score 33-7 to the home team with five tries in the bag.
The second half was all one way traffic with the Tigers producing breathtaking running rugby which tore apart the visitors defence. Centre Joe Bedlow scored his third try after just three minutes of the half and this was followed one minute later with a lovely try for flanker Alex Minozzi after a wonderful line break by centre Harry Lewis. 45-7 to the Tigers with all of the half to go. We range the changes bringing players off the substitute bench and another build up of phases saw replacement forward Harry Coxhill go over for our eight try. This was followed two minutes later with a try for full back Nathan Pope converted by Oli Glasse. This was quickly followed up with a try for centre Joe Bedlow (his fourth) and another two minutes later for flanker Alex Minozzi ( his second) which gave us a unassailable 71-7 lead going into the last ten minutes of the game. Huddersfield gave their all but had no answer to this onslaught. As they got more and more tired gaps in their defence were appearing all over the pitch. We add three more converted tries in the last ten minutes with prop Ozzie Downham crashing over, followed by left winger Sampson Shute and finally a second for captain Connor James. The game ended 92-7 to the Tigers and another five point win keeping us at the top of the league. Commiserations must go to Huddersfield who gave it their all for the eighty minutes but they could not cope with the relentless pressure that the Tigers put on them. Fourteen tries, eleven conversions and an unbelievable display off attacking rugby underpinned by a wonderful defence. Centre Joe Bedlow was given star player for his four tries but credit must go to the whole squad for their application and accuracy in all facets of play putting down a marker and statement to the rest of the league. Only Hull Ionians and ourselves have a 100% record so far but we are taking nothing for granted as it is a long season and there is no room for complacency. Our next challenge is away to North East side Billingham next Saturday. This will be the first time that we have played them so we need to prepare well during the week as only a top performance will do. So please come and support your special Tigers team.
Cheers, Steve Hazz.
The afternoon at Park Lane
Photography by JessGrace.
