Welcome back. After what seems an eternity, the new season is upon us, and like returning to school after the summer holidays, there was a feeling of trepidation and excitement.
Nowhere would those feelings be more strongly felt than amongst the new boys stepping up and going to “Big school”. Charlie Cooke, a Latin scholar, was thrust straight in to learn Greek (a fly half by preference in at 15); Alex Edwards was given the unenviable task of filling the boots of Sam Pocklington and Micheal Goode came onto the wing in direct opposition to Huddersfield’s most potent weapon, flier Finlay Stewart.
In the pack there were new boys Calvin Mitchell and Ben Hyde starting and on the bench Ben Carlile and Oliver Arnold. All of them can look after themselves but they also had the comfort of the protective wing of the gnarled old trouper, Joe Makin.
It wasn’t plain sailing but none of them let the side nor themselves down, with young Edwards winning the “back of the match” accolade for his performance and Ben Hyde awarded the Triton MoM, ensuring at least one free school meal. So, a good start. Could do better? Time will tell.
The first game of the season, a first victory, and the full five points. You can’t get more than that. It was not a gold star performance, that is not surprising given the circumstances, but perseverance and resilience proved invaluable as the hosts struck in the final minute to claim the win, 31 – 24. It was the first time they had held the lead, with Ben Stephenson capping a fine individual performance by diving over for the try from the back of a driving maul.
Huddersfield proved to be a bit of a handful, particularly in the backs. They utilised the experience and guile of Milner and Widdop to exploit the pace of the Stewart brothers out wide. This was evident as early as the second minute, when Kian Stewart was set free down the wing. Only the timely intervention of Joe Makin, who showed a remarkable turn of speed, prevented him scorching away for the opening try.
The visitors continued to threaten and some slick handling put Fin Stewart over for the opening try. Will Milner slotted over the goal from off the touch-line to put Huddersfield 0 – 7 up.
Ionians came back strongly and aided by a succession of infringements were able to camp in the Huddersfield 22. From a line-out close to the line Ben Stephenson was able to control the drive and flop over. Ben Smith’s well directed conversion tied the scores.
Some wayward kicking out of hand brought unnecessary pressure on the home side and allowed Huddersfield to push Ionians onto the back foot. The line-out, which the home side dominated irrespective of who threw in, and a solidly set home scrum prevented too much damage but Ionians had to rely on some excellent defensive work to keep the visitors at bay; a toe in touch after a despairing tackle and the combined efforts of Ben Smith and Charlie Cook, who held the ball up over the line prevented two scores to Huddersfield.
Home nerves settled as the half went on and as it came to a close Ionians enjoyed a period of sustained possession which looked to have brought a try.
A line-out was taken cleanly and the ball moved across to Ben Hyde who clattered through the first line of defence and carried up to the 22. Calvin Mitchell was on hand to skip his way to within 5m of the line before being dragged down. The ball was popped up to Jack Gillingwater and he barged his way over, only to be cruelly dispossessed as he went to ground.
Half time arrived with Huddersfield leading two tries to one and 7 – 14 up.
The score that Ionians had threatened to claim late in the first half duly arrived early in the second period. Alex Edwards launched a well directed box kick, which landed nicely in no mans land and bounced up nicely for George Hotchen to run on to and away to the line. Ben Smith obliged off the tee to tie the scores.
Ionians lost the services of Jack Townend for ten minutes soon after the score and Huddersfield punished the home side immediately with a try for Finley Steward; a simple move from a quick tap had the ball swung down the line and allowed Tom Parkin to exploit the extra space to put Edwards away to the line. Milner screwed the kick just wide of the post to leave Huddersfield leading 14 -19.
Before Townend’s return Huddersfield struck again, not that he could have done much to prevent the actual try. Huddersfield lost yet another of their own line-out’s but it was only tapped down to fall invitingly to hooker Liam Stapley, who gathered and galloped gleefully away to score. Milner was again awry off the tee but Huddersfield extended the margin to 10 points, 14 – 24.
Restored to a full complement and introducing fresh legs across the front row (and crucially with Mal Holden into the back line), Ionians set about reducing the arrears.
They upped the tempo and the intensity and battered away at the Huddersfield defence. Jack Gillingwater came close to scoring for the second time when he latched on to a lovely off load from Antony Newell but again lost possession as he stretched for the line.
For the first time in the match Ionians were able to apply sustained pressure and they made it tell. A line-out was driven 15m before play was moved in field. Ben Hyde pirouetted out of a couple of tackles to release Mal Holden on a run to the line. He was stopped short but quick recycled ball went right and back left to find Holden and he dabbed a little grubber kick behind the onrushing defence for Hotchen to dive onto for the try. The conversion attempt went wide, Ionians were still five points behind, 19 -24.
As the game entered the final ten minutes Milner had a pot at goal to try and extend the lead beyond one score but without success; it was the home side who were next to alter the scoreboard.
The tactics became crystal clear. Put the ball into touch and go for a catch and drive. Dull but effective, death by blunt force trauma.
With five minutes remaining James Sanderson capped a fine performance when he scored off the back of a driving maul, to tie the scores at 24 apiece.
Ionians weren’t done. They repeated the same drill to drive a line-out over for Ben Stephenson to grab his second try of the match. Ben Smith knocked over the conversion to complete the scoring and end the game.
It was a narrow, nervy, nail-biting win but a solid start to the season. Next week it’s away at new boys, Heath. A novel experience for us all.