Last Saturday our team gave an outstanding display of fast open rugby to completely overwhelm our visitors Sandal RUFC in what was expected to be a very close game as third in the table were playing the team in fourth position. Hull secured the bonus point in just twenty-seven minutes and scored another just before the break to lead 29-7 at half-time. They went on to score another three tries in the second period with Sandal scoring another for a final score of 48-14. Hull’s tries came from Lee Birch, Steve Hihetah and Alex Heard with two apiece and Joe Martin and Joe Stafford got the other two. Our new fly-half Tyler Price landed four conversions after missing the first three and had a very good home debut.
Elsewhere in the table today’s visitors lost 41-14 at Billingham after conceding two tries in the first five minutes; Waterloo lost heavily at home to second-placed Rossendale by 41-12 and in the Yorkshire derby at Huddersfield the league leaders kept up their amazing unbeaten run by beating Cleckheaton 47-14 to clinch the championship of National Three North. Many congratulations to a very good side. Ilkley had a good 17-3 win over visitors Kendal; Lymm had a 29-14 home win over Stockport in the Cheshire local derby and Wirral were pushed all the way by visitors Morley before winning a very close and high-scoring game by 36-31.
So the top three remain unchanged with Rossendale assured of a play-off place, which I am sure we all wish them luck in, and Wirral have gone into fourth place with Sandal now fifth. In the nether regions it seems likely that Waterloo, who are at Sandal today, will join Stockport in relegation with the remaining place going to either Morley on 36, today’s visitors also on 36 and Cleckheaton on 38. With only two games remaining I would not like to say who will be the third to go down.
The game of the day has to be up at Rossendale were Huddersfield are the visitors, Morley v Lymm where 12th play 8th and Kendal v Billingham where 7th play 6th.
Compiled by Norman Angell
HULL RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB 