Field ‘dropped off cliff’ after building commanding lead
BOURNVILLE HUDDERSFIELD 55 33
HUDDERSFIELD scored five first-half tries, to secure the bonus point and build up a commanding lead in their final National 2 North league game at Bournville.
However, in a bizarre reversal of fortune, they conceded 43 unanswered points in the second half and lost the game 55 points to 33.
Head coach Gaz Lewis said: “In the first half we did virtually everything right. We controlled field position, dominated the set piece and were clinical when opportunities came our way. In the second half we simply dropped off a cliff!
“To concede so many unanswered points was very disappointing. If ever there was an archetypal game of two halves, this was it.”
Bournville centre Max Craven opened the scoring with an unconverted try five minutes into the game but Field hit back with three tries in quick succession. Prop Callum Thompson, was the first to cross, dotting down from a catch and drive from a line out. Sam Nunn then charged down a kick on half way, and, having gathered the ball the centre raced through for a try under the posts, which Will Milner converted. From a high kick upfield by Milner, Nunn then took advantage of a favourable bounce to put full-back Tom Hodson in at the corner for try number three.
Winger, Ethan Walker, narrowed the gap for Bournville, breaking through at pace for a solo try, which fly-half, Mitchell McGahan, converted with ease. In a strong finish Field added a further 12 points to their tally. Having neatly side stepped his marker, Milner cruised in between the posts for a try, which he converted, with hooker Liam Stapley, rounding things off with the fifth try, to make the score 33-12 to Field.
Huddersfield’s second-half cause wasn’t helped by the sin-binning of centre Lewis Workman and flanker George Hinchliff.
The second half started with Bournville full-back, Owen Williams scoring an unconverted try just before Workman’s dismissal, with their No.8, Callum Thompson, cashing in with their bonus point try, immediately after it. McGahan added the extras.
After Workman’s return to the pitch, Huddersfield steadied the ship and created a good chance to increase their lead when Thompson made a good break, with Kian Stewart in close support. Unfortunately Thompson’s pass went behind the on-running Stewart, who had open ground in front of him. A dazzling try by Bournville winger Mikey Ho, converted by McGahan, and another by hooker James Randall, gave the home side a one point lead with 15 minutes remaining. Randell’s score came from a catch and drive, after a very good 50/22 kick by Williams, had given the hosts an attacking five-metre line-out. Hinchiff saw yellow on 68 minutes, following a technical infringement, just 10 minutes after taking the field as replacement, heralding the way for a final blitzkrieg by Bournville.
Tries by James Burgoyne and Jack Cantelo came quickly, with McGahan’s conversion bringing the match to its end.