Field produce a Titanic shock in league thriller
HUDDERSFIELD delivered a dynamic and determined display at Lockwood Park to dent the title aspirations of Rotherham Titans.
They scored six tries to win, 36-31 in one of the biggest upsets of the National 2 North season.
The former Premiership team arrived in second place in the table, having lost only two of their previous 25 games. Unfazed by the 12-place difference in league standings, Huddersfield took the game to the visitors and more than matched them in all respects.
They secured the bonus point with four first-half tries and wrapped up the game in dramatic style in the closing moments.
Huddersfield head coach Gaz Lewis described the performance as one of the best in his nine years in charge. He said: “As a group we sensed an upset was on the cards. After a fantastic first half, in which we controlled the tempo and managed the game superbly, we knew Titans would hit back.
“This was a great team effort and we showed amazing resilience and character to come out on top.”
Titan’s were swiftly out of the blocks and took the lead with a try, by centre Jamie Cooke, in the first minute.
Field’s response was immediate. Some enterprising play put the Titans on the back foot, forcing a penalty, which was kicked to touch. From the lineout Field set up a rolling maul which ended with a try by prop Callum Thompson,
converted by Will Milner from wide out.
Field maintained their momentum and after some promising interplay between forwards and backs, they increased their lead on 15 minutes. Full back Tom Hodson took a catch from a clearance kick and made good ground, with winger Sam Nunn in support. Nunn was brought down just short and lock Nick Sharpe took the offload to crash over for an unconverted try.
A powerful surge by the Titans at the end of the first quarter took play to the Huddersfield try line.
Although the home side mounted a sterling defence, Ed Brown was yellow carded for a technical infringement at the ruck. From the penalty, Titans opted to scrummage and Kieron Curran, cashed-in on the team’s one man advantage with a try. Fly half
Joe Carlisle added the extras to draw his team level.
In a dramatic end to the first half Huddersfield winger Kian Stewart celebrated his 50th game for Field by rounding off a back-line move on the overlap after some slick passing by Nunn and Hodson.
Then, after a superb catch of a high ball by fly half Matt Law, the ball was recycled quickly and taken forward by Brown, whose ground-breaking work was finished off by Nunn. Both tries were converted by Milner to give Field a 26-12 lead at the interval.
But Titans were right back in the game ten minutes into the second half. Tries by centre Harry Dunn and winger George Tucker, the first of which was converted by Carlisle, narrowed the gap to just two points.
A poor clearance kick had gifted Titans front foot ball and Dunn broke through for the first score. The second came after a penalty put Titans 10 metres from the Huddersfield line, with Tucker dotting down behind the drive from the lineout.
Minutes later, an excellent line break by Field flanker Harvey Keighley-Payne forced play back into the Titans red zone. Hodson continued the move and when he was hauled down, the visitors knocked on. Field rocked the Titans pack at the scrummage and from the penalty concession they kicked to touch. Thompson touched down for his second try from the catch and drive to put his team seven points.
Field mounted an heroic defence on their try line as the minutes ticked down and having survived the onslaught, they just needed to retain possession to see out the match, but when they lost the ball on half way they were made to pay. Titan’s lock, Lewis Allan crashed over for a try, which Carlisle converted to draw the scores level.
With time almost up Field mounted one final thrust, which ended with Brown grubbing the ball through and into touch inside the 22. Titans over-threw their lineout ball and, in an instant, Field were pressing on the try line and when the ball was recycled, Sharpe burst through for the winning score.