Field’s spirit has made for amazing year

learn and improve. And in many ways, that’s what Huddersfield’s rugby union team did in 2018.

Now, the sporting year for Huddersfield folk was decent enough – Town retained their Premier League status, the Giants had a good season in Super League, we all had the summer of our lives following England at the World Cup, and young Aaliyah Powell, local Taekwondo ace, even became a world champion at the junior Championships in Tunisia.

And down at Lockwood Park, supporters were given a year to be proud of as Field followed up a promotion season with a solid sixthplace finish in National League Two North, to then go into the new season as contenders for a top-two berth.

And for a club the size that it is in this league, competing against some big boys, being near the toptwo would make for a marvellous achievement. But that’s the way the team is trending under long-serving head coach Gareth Lewis.

In the summer, we saw a big recruitment drive, a new captain in Dickie Piper, new right-hand man for Lewis in Mark Pease, and the team have developed a resolute mentality and at times can really play some dominant and assertive rugby.

However, the year hasn’t been without it’s knocks and bruises. Frustrating long-term injuries to Tom Owen, Brandon Conway, Ben Morrill to name a few has seen Lewis pushed to using the full extent of his squad’s depth at times.

It is a young squad at that, with some very fresh-faced players throughout. Young winger Kian Stewart, two half-backs in Joe Green and Jack Maplesden, as well as Guy Borrowdale and Bob Sykes have acquitted themselves well when put into the line of duty in the pack.

It’s a great blend of experience and youthful exuberance with seasoned veterans like Piper, Pease and Chris Johnson to lead the way.

On the pitch, as previously mentioned, there has been progress, and some very good results.

Getting a first win at Macclesfield earlier in the season proved to be a big result, the big win and even bigger journey that was Luctonians away at the start of the year was just as fun as the battle through the bluster of Blaydon when winter hit its peak.

There have been the away days, but then the green, green grass of home has always been of comfort to Field. Eleven wins have been seen at Lockwood Park, and picking a favourite would be a tough one.

The 43-8 battering of Hinckley this season would be up there, the day Field went old-school against Leicester Lions to maul their way to a win, the derby win over Otley just before Christmas or even the dramatics of scoring two lastminute tries to steal a win from Preston Grasshoppers.

Lewis has had a good year and is focussing on moving forward after a great year.

“At a time of reflection as head coach I am pretty happy with our position in the league table but we