A full programme of league matches were played on February 10th and included two Yorks County derbies and three Yorks/Lancs Roses clashes.
League leaders Leeds Tykes continued their 100% record with a 49-6 victory over Sheffield Tigers at the Tykes Sycamore Ground. A close first half saw them just 14-6 ahead at half-time but they added a further five tries during the second period, including a hat-trick for centre Ben Dixon who also took the Man-of-the-Match award. All seven tries were converted, six by Keiran Davies and one by Tom Williams. Will Baker landed two early penalty goals for the well-beaten Tigers.
Otley took on fourth-placed Wharfedale at their Cross Green ground and felt the full force of the dominant Dalesmen who recorded their highest-ever score against Otley with a 41-0 win. Otley held their visitors to just 10-0 at the break but Wharfe ran amok in the second period with five more tries. One bright light for Otley was that the fixture attracted the highest attendance of the day in National Two North when 529 went through the turnstiles. The Wharfedale lock George Hedgley took the Man-of-the-Match award.
Hull RUFC v Preston Grasshoppers proved to be a very exciting and entertaining game as the Hoppers dominated the first 30 minutes to race into a 19-3 lead, scoring three very good tries. Hull came to life after that, playing some exhilarating rugby which saw Kiwi centre Bureta Faraimo score three tries in eight minutes, two of which were converted by full-back Reece Dean for a half-time score of 24-19. The Hoppers scored an early converted try in the second half to lead 26-24 but the Hoppers discipline began to crumble allowing Dean to add three penalty goals in nine minutes to give Hull a 33-26 lead. In the 65th minute Hull won a lineout on the half-way line and scrum-half James Naylor raced through the Hoppers defence to score a wonderful 50 metre try, which Dean converted to make the score 40-26. In the dying seconds Preston scored a converted try for a final score of 40-33 enabling them to take 2 bonus points from the game, which they richly deserved. Bureta Faraimo was voted Man-of-the-Match.
In another very high-scoring game at Brantingham Park Hull Ionians ended their long run of ten defeats when they drew 38-38 with fellow strugglers Billingham. Both sides scored five converted tries and one penalty with Billingham leading 17-14 at the interval. The Ionians full-back, Lewis Minikin was successful with all of his six attempts at goal, landing five conversions and one penalty goal. The Man-of-the-Match was Peter Evans the Billingham centre. Probably in view of their respective league placings the Hull Ionians Press Officer described the result as “one that neither side wanted”.
The final Roses match was at Fylde who gave second-placed Rotherham Titans a very hard game before the visitors, who were trailing 20-17 at the break, finally won by 32-27. The Titans scored four tries to Fylde’s three to pick up all five points, but they knew that they had been pushed all the way in what was described as “a bruising encounter”. Fylde are always a tough prospect at the Woodlands ground and the Titans will be very pleased to have come out on top. Their prop Charlie Capps was awarded the Man-of-the-Match.
Third in the table Sheffield RUFC where given a really hard game by Lymm which they won by 28-24 after both sides were level 14-14 at the interval. This was Sheffield’s tenth win on the trot and they scored four tries to Lymm’s three. Lymm belied their lowly league position of eleventh and Anthony Pose, the Sheffield coach said ”Lymm took the game to us and it was a hell of a match”. The Sheffield back-rower Jason Hignell took the Man-of-the-Match award.
Finally, bottom side Huddersfield had another very torrid afternoon when visitors Tynedale ran in nine tries to inflict another heavy defeat on them by 57-19 after leading 26-7 at the interval. There was no stopping Tyne as they more than doubled their total during the second half and although Huddersfield scored two very late converted tries it was just not their day. The Tyne fly-half John Leslie was voted Man-of-the-Match after scoring two tries and landing six goals.
There is just one change in the top four positions with Wharfedale now in fourth position and Fylde drop one place to fifth. In the nether regions the bottom four remain unchanged, Lymm, Hull Ionians, Billingham and Huddersfield.
The top games today, based on leagues placings as usual, are second placed Rotherham on 77 points against third placed Sheffield RUFC, whose record breaking ten consecutive wins has put them within 7 points of the Titans; ninth placed Otley on 38 take on 11th placed Lymm on 34; and a cracking game is in prospect when seventh placed Tynedale entertain 5th place Fylde, with both sides in great form at the moment.
Ferensian.
HULL RUGBY UNION FOOTBALL CLUB 