By L Hammond
Firwood & Waterloo remained anchored to the bottom of National Three North as rampant Huddersfield ran in seven tries.
Huddersfield’s ferocity at the break down ensured that they were able to control the pace of the game whilst dominating possession. Their back row, led by the impressive Nick Sharpe overpowered their Firwood counterparts, providing a constant stream of quick ball for the clinical Huddersfield backs division.
Firwood did manage two late scores to add their sole effort in the first half but the result of the match had already been etched in stone, with Huddersfield emerging deserved victors.
Huddersfield began the first half in an explosive fashion quickly establishing a ten point lead. Captain Nick Sharpe who found himself at the back of strong line-out drive, leaving Sharpe to fall over the line as the Huddersfield pack drove back the Firwood eight with ease.
From the resulting kick off, Huddersfield No.9 Joel Hinchcliff produced a high bombing box kick, which evaded the entire Firwood backline and was hacked on by Huddersfield Hooker Ben Morrill with flanker Ross Thornton falling on the ball over the line to secure the score.
All three members of the Huddersfield back row would soon be on the score sheet. Huddersfield centre Tom Owen cut an arcing line around the narrow Firwood defence. He then played a slick one-two with winger Michael Clarke before finding number seven Ben Hoyle free in field to walk over the try line unopposed.
Firwood then hit back with their own score with winger Chris Squire capitalising on an overlap to run in Firwood’s only points of the first half. Huddersfield Full-Back Tom Hodson hit back almost immediately for ‘Field, kicking a penalty to extend Huddersfield’s lead to 18 – 5 at the half time.
A penalty within the first minute of the second half saw Huddersfield stretch 16 points clear with Hodson converting the three points for Firwood being offside at the ruck.
Hodson then landed the killer blow and secured the try bonus point for his team. With Firwood attacking in the Huddersfield half a Firwood knock on was snaffled by Nick Sharpe on the ground. The ball was then played with precision to Hodson who found himself on the wing; he then produced a 50 metre solo effort, evading Firwood tacklers to score in the corner.
Huddersfield then landed two further scores with Scrum Half Joel Hinccliff driving over from short range following the first of several impressive scrums. Nick Sharpe then scored his second on the match. Following a ten metre shove from a Huddersfield scrum, the no.8 carried the ball over the line with ease to help his side reach the 40 point mark.
Firwood then replied with two late tries the first coming from centre Oliver Atkinson who ran an effective support line to back-up a 40 metre run from winger Chris Squire, who then popped the ball to the centre to walk over the line.
After turning down several kickable penalties, Firwood found themselves in Huddersfield’s twenty two with replacement prop Mark Murray beating the tired Huddersfield defence to walk over the line.
The match finished with a Huddersfield score with hooker Ben Morrell continuing his impressive form and throwing an audacious dummy to beat the last Firwood defender to run over the line un-apposed.
Speaking after the match Player Coach Gareth Lewis was delighted with how clinical his side were in the opening phases: “We talked about getting a good start today, we came out of the blocks firing, with good tempo and intensity and we got a great start.”
First Team Manager Lee Paxman was pleased with the win but unhappy with the way his side defended in the last quarter: “We pride ourselves on our defence, we drill ourselves hard and we would probably expect to shut them out in the last quarter, in the end we let them back in, but it was a good win and we’ll move on.”
Huddersfield’s next welcome Westoe to Lockwood Park.
