Coach delighted with nine-try team show

start. It’s hard when you’re winning games week-in week-out to avoid complacency, it is very tough, but the way they applied themselves was very impressive.”

A well-worked move from right to left enabled Danny Grainger to find himself free on the right to score,after a clever pass from Bell, who then put them 21-0 ahead.

Then from a line-out, prop Callum Thompson used his strength and determination to bundle himself over the line just before half time, making it 26-0 (Bell’s conversion was charged down).

Starting the second half, Huddersfield looked surprisingly off the pace and, to Ilkley’s credit, they came out revitalised and put together a strong 10-minute spell which Huddersfield survived unharmed.

Huddersfield have been working on the driving maul with Yorkshire Carnegie forward coach Steve Boden in training over recent weeks, and it gave Lewis great satisfaction that the hard work paid off. “One of the highlights of the day was the driving maul, the try we scored from that, because just before Christmas things weren’t really working in the driving maul,” explained the coach.

So when Chris Bell managed to grab his fourth try of the season from the driving maul, it was the coach’s “personal highlight of the day” (330).

That work was also evident for the sixth try as Nick Sharpe managed to find a gap in the opponents’ defence and get himself on the scoresheet, with Bell converting for 40-0.

Fitness has been a pivotal part to Huddersfield game this season, winning games emphatically in the final 20 minutes.

They managed another three tries on this occasion, with Tom Owen latching onto a knock-on, Kristian Sharples scoring a try on his return to the squad after injury and Brandon Conway grabbing the side’s ninth of the game.

The clean sheet was something Field targeted before the game and they were disappointed they let Ilkley get on the scoresheet with two minutes to go, from a kick through which bounced past the covering defence.

Lewis added: “It was a bit of a soft try to concede and took a little bit of the shine off it. “But I was really pleased with the game plan, and the attitude of the lads was first class.” JOE SCHMIDT insists Paddy Jackson has done enough to ensure Johnny Sexton will not be an automatic selection for Ireland’s RBS 6 Nations clash with France.

Ulster fly-half Jackson equalled the Six Nations record of nine conversions in one match in a flawless kicking display as Ireland thumped Italy 63-10 in Rome.

The 25-year-old bossed Ireland’s backline again as head coach Schmidt’s side claimed a record Six Nations win over the sorry Azzurri, with CJ Stander and Craig Gilroy both claiming hat-tricks.

Schmidt confirmed he expects Sexton to be fit to face France on February 25 after calf trouble – but admitted the British and Irish Lions playmaker could now have to battle Jackson for the start.

“Johnny has proven that he can come straight back into a side and hit the ground running, and he’s done that for us on other occasions,” said Schmidt.

“I guess this window has allowed Paddy to put his hand up and say ‘well, that shouldn’t be an automatic choice’.”

Jackson equalled former England star Johnny Wilkinson’s record of nine conversions in a Six Nations match as Ireland romped past Italy at the Stadio Olimpico.

Keith Earls claimed a brace and Garry Ringrose a neat score too as Ireland coasted to a nine-try victory. EXETER salvaged a 35-35 draw in a 10-try thriller against Aviva Premiership leaders Wasps despite playing the final 35 minutes with 14 men.

Lock Johnny Hill was the man sent off for the Chiefs in a match which featured a penalty try for each side and four further tries apiece.

Leicester won their first Premiership game in more than two months when they picked up maximum points from a 34-9 victory against Gloucester, and Ryan Mills kicked eight penalties as Aviva Premiership champions Saracens crashed to a shock 24-18 defeat at Sixways.