Fighting Field show spirit to share points

THIS week’s visitors to Laund Hill were near neighbours Morley, who have had a fairly mixed set of results. On the other hand the YM were looking to maintain a run of wins which had seen them climb to the top of the league last week.

With the loss of four influential players and the atrocious weather going to have a big say in matters it remained to be seen whether the YM could come up with the goods once again.

Morley were strong in defence but eventually, after the ball had been driven in and recycled in excess of 40 times the defensive line faltered enough to allow YM winger Kyle Tetley in at the corner, after he gathered a brilliantly quick tip pass courtesy of Sam Hodge, which created the mere hint of a gap to go through.

The wind had the better of Stead’s conversion attempt. Morley were awarded a penalty which full back Isherwood sank to get his side on the scoreboard 5-3

A Tindal try and Stead conversion gave YM a 12-3 lead at the break.

Morley grabbed early secondhalf penalty points and YM when they passed up a good try opportunity Morley took advantage of their good fortune and pressed the YM defence harder, this time with success.

From yet another disaster of a scrum Morley gained possession of the ball and quickly whipped it along the line, for outside centre Jason Kenneally to take advantage of a gap in the defence and scoot over for a Morley try. Isherwoods conversion was adrift but the teams were now only 1 point apart.

YM were awarded two penalties which on a calmer day would have been well within Stead’s range, on both occasions he declined the chance to go for goal instead opting to kick for position. Unfortunately for the YM, with their line-out not functioning at its best the challenges on the Morley line petered out and the YM came away with no points to show for their efforts.

With over 4 minutes of added time already played, the referee caught the YM offside and blew his whistle to signal the penalty well within kickable distance.

Up stepped Isherwood and he managed to control his nerves enough to beat the elements. HUDDERSFIELD and Fylde were both made to share the points on Saturday after slogging their way through a driving wind and rain to a 20-20 draw by the coast.

The height of the wintry weather came into play in the second half when a spell of torrential rain soaked pitch and players alike.

Credit to the players on either side as despite the weather both teams kept mistakes down to a low level and fought their way to what both EDINBURGH coach Richard Cockerill has played down talk he could be in the running to one day succeed Eddie Jones as England coach.

Cockerill is one of a number of English coaches to have caught the eye of Rugby Football Union interim chief executive Nigel Melville.

His Edinburgh side currently sit top of Champions Cup Pool Five sides can consider a creditable result. Chris Johnson had the lion’s share of Field’s scoring with a converted try and a couple of penalties to his name to go along with Alex Battye’s score.

Connor Wilkinson bagged a brace of tries for the home side while Greg Smith rounded off the scoring for his side with penalty kicks, but also missed one in either half.

Wilkinson made an immediate impact from the off. Fylde’s first attack within two minutes yielded a try as Field were given an early tap on the shoulder to let them know the game was on. He raced from the ten metres inside Field’s half carrying following a bonus-point win against Newcastle on Friday and Melville is impressed by the job he has done north of the border.

Melville told the Daily Telegraph: “Cockerill has done an amazing job in Edinburgh, did you think he’d do a really good job up there?

“I questioned whether he would but actually he’s done a really good job.”

But speaking to Matt Dawson’s through the channel and all the way to the line. However, Field have proven themselves to be a good side this season and a hard team to keep down.

Their response was instant, working their way down the pitch and from a scrum Alex Battye took the initiative crawling his way over with a double movement to get his side on the scoreboard.

Chris Johnson’s account was opened too for the afternoon in kicking the conversion to level it.

From there Huddersfield got into a position of control for the rest of the half, using possession well at times as well as set pieces while keeping it tight at the other end.

It wasn’t too long after Battye’s score that Johnson was in to take the lead.

Using their possession patiently and going through the phases into Fylde’s 22, Johnson eventually found himself in a position to make a move.

The number 10 ran Rugby Show on BBC Radio Five Live, Cockerill dismissed any link to the national team.

Cockerill said: “I am not sure that is a conversation the union will be having with me anytime soon.

“It is a really hard one. Guys have come out in the last few days and said they are probably not interested.

“It is such a high-pressure job and it is almost sometimes a hiding to through his man from 5 metres out and got his team another try. Kicking his own try through, Johnson wasn’t done for the half. He followed up on the stroke of half time by kicking a penalty, sandwiching two Fylde penalties from Greg Smith, one missed one scored, to send Field into the break with a seven-point lead. The second half by contrast was a Fylde half. They came from the dressing room with a similar intensity they showed in the opening five minutes of the match, but managed to uphold it for longer periods this half. There was no score for a while where the sides were duking it out for pitch position, maybe owing to the conditions at play, also owing to Greg Smith missing his second penalty of the match kicking wide. Saving his blushes was Wilkinson with a near identical effort to his first score. Starting just outside the Field 22 he received it to break lines once again but this time had a bit more defensive attention. Wilkinson

The spirit and character we showed to fight for the two points will serve us well

nothing. When you are in a really good DOR (director of rugby) job at your club and enjoying it, I am not sure for some guys it is that tempting to leave the day-in, day-out work of club rugby, which is great fun.”

Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter and Saracens counterpart Mark McCall have also revealed they are not interested in the job at present.