YOUNG GUNS SHINE

SUNDERLAND STORM TO BIG WIN AT SOUTH SHIELDS ... BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN MORE

Sunderland’s young guns blew South Shields away in a resounding bonus point 64-7 win - but club bosses felt they could have had more.

The Ashbrooke management praised the attacking verve of the youthful first XV, whose backline boasted an average age of just 18.

In a game, which saw bullocking number 8 Jack Hope grab a first half hat-trick, Sunderland admittedly will have to improve even further as they face tougher opponents in a competitive Durham and Northumberland Two.

Chairman Paul Geehan said: “Despite the score, the coaches wanted more from the players and weren’t particularly happy with the level we played at. We should have hadmorepointsontheboard in the first half, but we failed to capitalise on the opportunities that we had, opting to kick instead of pass when there were chances to put players into space.”

The visitors served notice of their intent at Shields’ Harton School pitch, with early scores for brothers Marc and Dean Edmundson, Leon Ryan and forwards Andy Wordsworth and Ryan Buckley.

Geehan added: “We had three 17-year-olds in the backs who are just enjoying themselves. It is frustrating we didn’t get more points on the board, but there were periods of excellent play, particularly from the front row, in the loose.”

There were debuts for second rows, teenager Brad Wall and summer signing Jamie Gair.

“Both showed their potential,” Geehan added “That bodes well for the future. If they are good enough, they will get their chance.

“It all shows that we are moving forward in the right direction.”

The second XV kept up the winning run with a 4629 away victory over Newton Aycliffe.

The women’s team, the Flames, were left without a game after Merseysidebased Birkenhead Panthers pulled out of their Championship North Division Two clash yesterday.

Wasps eventually broke Leicester’s stubborn resistance to register a 41-35 victory at the Ricoh Arena but an eight-try thriller was overshadowedbyanothercontroversial red card.

Eight days after Bristol flanker George Smith was sent off for a dangerous tackle at Saracens that was subsequently rescinded by a disciplinary hearing, Tigers lock Will Spencer was dismissed in similarly contentious circumstances.

Spencer caught Tommy Taylor with a shoulder to the head and his afternoon was over, but in his defence he was dipping low to make the tackle against a player who stands six inches shorter.

Leicester interim head coach Geordan Murphy said: “The game’s gone too PC. That for me is crazy, it’s rugby. We need to start picking players under five foot.

“I see the game becoming very, very different to the game I played and loved. It wasn’t a red card.

“Tommy Taylor is pulling out of the tackle because he doesn’t want to run upright, so his height is dipped.”