FIELD END PRE-SEASON PREP WITH A WIN AT LYMM
Huddersfield scored six tries in their final pre-season warm up game, eventually running out winners 38 points to 31 away from home against a very determined Lymm team.
The visitors were exposed early on, their Northern Premiership hosts running in two tries in the first ten minutes. Sam Mullarkey and Joe Denman took advantage of some poor tackling to get the scores with Cormac Nolan successfully converting both.
Huddersfield produced a determined response and a try under the posts by Lewis Bradley, which was converted by fly half Will Milner, had reduced the deficit at the end of the first quarter. Three intervals were taken during the game to enable team coaches to rotate their full squads with Huddersfield using 30 players over the eighty minutes.
The second and third periods saw Huddersfield take control of the game and open up a fourteen point lead. Elliot Knight skated in on the right wing and Lewis Workman bagged a brace of tries through the centre to create the advantage. Milner and Workman shared the kicking duties to add four extra points
Huddersfield’s pack dominated the scrummages during the afternoon and the third quarter ended with the forwards producing a lot of pressure close to the Lymm line. Lymm showed real grit in last ditch defence but lost the services of Andy Davies to the sin bin for illegally halting Huddersfield’s momentum. Skipper Dickie Piper kept the pressure on by taking the scrum option after Field were awarded successive penalties and rounded off the period by touching down himself.
Lymm showed a readiness to run the ball at every opportunity and an unconverted try by James Kimber on 35 minutes kept them in touch. A highlight of the third period was a fine right wing break away by Kian Stewart. Having covered a very pacey 70 metres unfortunately his off-load in the tackle found an opponent with the whitewash beckoning.
Tries by Matt Connelly and Reece Forest, the latter converted by Scott Redfearn, saw Lymm shade the final period. Although Huddersfield ended the match down to fourteen men with centre James Davies sitting out the final minutes in the sin bin they did have the final word. Joe Stott, in at scrum half, nipping neatly through behind his forwards for the final try of the game.
Huddersfield Head Coach Gaz Lewis reflected, ‘This was another tough test and will serve us well. In the first forty minutes we struggled to deal with Lymm’s attacking play but I felt we grew into the game. Individually and collectively we began to impose ourselves and demonstrate some quality with and without the ball. We have a big week ahead now in preparation for Sedgley Park.’
Huddersfield begin their National 2 North campaign against Sedgley Park at home next Saturday, kick off 3pm.
Richard Sykes, Rugby Union Correspondent Huddersfield Daily Examiner.
It was nice to see a really good following at the game at Lymm. The support of so many at a pre-season friendly much appreciated by the players. ‘Up the Field!’
