Fylde backs cut loose and show their class.
Title chasing Fylde demonstrated their class with an emphatic win over Huddersfield in National 2 North. They ran in 9 tries, including a hat-trick by full back Tom Carleton.
The 57-14 scoreline flattered Fylde somewhat and certainly didn’t reflect Huddersfield’s endeavour and their contribution to a highly entertaining game, something Huddersfield’s Director of Rugby, Gaz Lewis alluded to in his post match comments. He said, ‘We were well in contention at the break and had success playing to our strengths but couldn’t impose ourselves in the second half and Fylde cut loose.
‘I don’t think the final score reflected how competitive we were. There were some definite positives to come from the game.’
Throughout the game Fylde’s lively back line looked threatening with ball in hand, running it from deep and at pace at every opportunity. They served notice of intent just two minutes into the game when centre Tom Stott raced through and dotted down in the right hand corner for the first of the tries.
Field’s scrummage was strong and they pressured Fylde in the narrow channels. Ed Barber made a fine line break and forced a penalty, with the kick taking play to the 5 metre line. Fylde held firm but remained under pressure. It was relieved when scrum half Adam Lanigan made a superb 40 metre break, off loading and re-taking the ball to round off the move he started with the second try.
When Field returned to the attack Fylde Number 8, David Fairbrother, was yellow carded for a deliberate knock on. The penalty was kicked to the corner and Field took advantage of their extra man when skipper Lewis Bradley was driven over for a try which was converted by fly half Tom Lee.
The final 10 minutes of the first half turned into a points fest, with three more tries for Fylde and a second for their visitors. The scoring spree began with the dismissal of Bradley to the sin bin. Hooker, Ben Gregory, touched down for Fylde from the catch and drive from the penalty to the line, after which Adam Lewis and Jordan Dorrington exploited the space created by Lewis’ departure with tries which fly half, Greg Smith, converted.
Field’s response to the last one was immediate. A penalty took play to the Fylde line and prop Callum Thompson crashed over with Lee’s successful conversion of his try bringing the half to an end. Half time score, 29-14.
Field produced their best spell of rugby after the interval and pressed their hosts in the third quarter. However Fylde proved as resolute in defence as they were running the ball out of it and the visitors were unable to add to their tally.
The only try in the early part of the half came on 55 minutes when Fylde full back, Tom Carleton, won a touch line duel with his opposite number Tom Hodson. Smith added the extras.
Field’s promising spell was ended on 68 minutes when winger Ben Turner broke clear and raced in for a fine solo try. Carleton scored his second in similar fashion two minutes later and rounded things off with his hat-trick score with 5 minutes remaining. Smith successfully converted all of the final tries to bring his personal tally in the game to 12 points.
Field are next in action on 26th November, when they host Sedgley Park who are top of the National 2 North table. They are unbeaten and the only team Fylde, in second place, have lost to.
Huddersfield: Hodson; Stewart F; Law; Barber; Workman; Lee; Wilson; Rollins; Myers; Effiom; Pearson; Jones; Brown; Bradley (capt); Jennings. Replacements: Stapley; Thompson; Catleugh; Knight; Dawson.
Written by Richard Sykes.
Photos by Chris Farrow.
