Hull RUFC travel to Sale tomorrow hoping to register their first win of the season. A third close defeat was handed to Gary Pearce’s side last week when they were beaten 26-38 by Taunton at Chants Ave. With a bit more luck, Hull could be sitting on three wins, but their search for that first win in the third tier of English rugby continues. Pearce can see improvements on the pitch, week after week, and with a little more control at key times in games, that search will come to an end.
“We’re improving. Saturday was a more rounded team performance,” Pearce said.
“We did well up front and we looked dangerous in behind. It was a physical game as was the Plymouth game the previous week. It takes its toll.
“Laurence Cowen-Leak did fantastic on his first game back. Josh Hanlon played well and his line outs were excellent. I’m pretty sure we should have had a penalty try from a catch-and-drive. Mike Adlard looked exciting at the back again and I thought Jack Edwards and Charlie Rawlins played really well on the wings.
“We were a bit disappointed in the scrums because the ref didn’t have a grip on it. We were very powerful but he seemed to side with them a lot.
“We felt their prop just fell to the ground in the middle of the scrum all the time and nothing was done about that.
“It was a more open game than it should have been and defeat was hard to take. We just got to hang in there and that first win will come. We should have picked two points up on Saturday. We just need a little more control.
“They are very entertaining games and the lads are trying really hard. Most of the lads are local lads and this is testing for them. It’s a tough ask but all we can ask if for them to keep working hard.
“We need to keep positive and we’ll all be in a better place for it. It’s tough at the moment but we will come through it.”
HULL RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB 