Club Historian Stephen Hodgson takes us on a trip down memory lane every week of the season. With rugby cancelled 5 years ago due to the coronavirus pandemic, Stephen has delved further into the club records to pick out games played on this week 10, 15 and 20 years ago. It continues to be a popular read with former and current players. Do you feature this week?
25 April 2015 – National Two North: Hull 19-29 Preston Grasshoppers
On Ollie Cook’s 105th and final appearance for the club Hull RUFC suffered a last day relegation from National Two North after going down 29-19 at home to Preston Grasshoppers. Hull recovered from a poor start to level by half time and despite dominating much of the second half failed to convert pressure into points. Preston started the sharper and led after two minutes with an unconverted try. Hull responded with a catch and drive try from Ben Sullivan converted by Greg Lound.
Preston retook the lead after 18 minutes with a converted try and with Hull under increasing pressure captain Rob Devonshire was yellow carded before Preston scored again with another converted try on 24 minutes. Hull turned to all out attack and after 32 minutes back row Jonny Matthews touched down with Lound again adding the conversion. As half time approached Hull pressed again and winger Ben Thoy went over for an unconverted try to level the scores at 19-19. Hull piled on the pressure in the second half but could not find their way over the line and with eight minutes remaining Preston went ahead with a penalty kick before sealing victory with a late converted try to consign the hosts to relegation.
Team: T Tanumi, B Thoy, A Holland, A Heard, S Hihetah, G Lound, O Hardisty, R Davies, T Rice, P Sewell, R Devonshire, A Corkish, J Matthews, B Sullivan, O Cook. Subs: M Jobling, L Brown, R Holland, M David, C Murphy.
Tries: B Sullivan, J Matthews, B Thoy
Cons: G Lound 2
24 April 2010 – National Division Two North: Fylde 16-25
Hull produced a solid second half display in their penultimate league game of the season to overturn Fylde 25-16 and extend their unbeaten league run to seven games. The hosts struck first with a 5th minute penalty but Hull responded when Robin Kitching picked up a loose ball and embarked on a solo run to touch down. James Cameron narrowly missed the difficult conversion. Fylde went back in front from another penalty after 12 minutes and two minutes before half time a converted try gave them a 13-5 lead at the break.
Hull came flying out of the blocks in the second half as Kitching made another foray down the wing and sent an excellent long ball inside to Maea David before Darren Wigg recycled the tackle and dived over the line to reduce the deficit to one point after Cameron’s conversion. Ten minutes later Darren Wigg scored his second try which Cameron also converted to put Hull six points ahead and with ten minutes remaining Cameron kicked a vital penalty following a reckless tackle. In the last five minutes Fylde scored from a penalty before Cameron ended the scoring with his second penalty kick to give Hull a firm grip on 5th place with just one league game remaining.
Team: M Tony, R Kitching, O Norman, M David, A Piercy, J Cameron, M White, J Ward, S Plevey, A Gravil, D Wigg, D Cook, R Devonshire, B Dorrington, S Onesi. Subs: M Alderson, C Kendra, J Lamping, N Spence, T Sanders.
Tries: D Wigg 2, R Kitching
Cons: J Cameron 2
Pens: J Cameron 2
23 April 2005 – North One: Hull 34-15 Middlesbrough
Hull ended the season with a comfortable win over Middlesbrough to record their 16th league victory and their sixth double of the season. The victory confirmed third place in the table in our first ever season in North One. Middlesbrough took an early lead with a penalty but within three minutes Hull had levelled the score with a Guy Martinson penalty.
Hull went ahead when Chris Kendra took a quick penalty and Brunson Sanders crashed through the visitors defence to score an unconverted try. Hull kept up the pressure and another break from Sanders resulted in Manasi Ma’ake scoring under the posts with Martinson adding the conversion. An unconverted try for the visitors gave Hull a 15-8 half time advantage.
Hull went further ahead when Sanders scored his second try which Chris Kendra converted but within five minutes a converted try for Boro saw Hull’s lead down to seven points. Hull stretched ahead when Maea David put in Shaun Higginson for another try which Kendra converted and in the fourth minute of added time winger Danny Smith scored his 17th try of the season to end the scoring .
Team: G Martinson, D Smith, M Donkin, A Smith, L McKenzie, M David, C Kendra, J Ward, N Lyon, A Fish, S Bates, G Jackson, M Ma’ake, S Higginson, B Sanders. Subs: S Anderson, N Tonga, C Tranmer
Tries: B Sanders 2, M Ma’ake, S Higginson, D Smith
Cons: C Kendra 2, G Martinson
Pen: G Martinson
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