Hull Ionians suffered a second defeat of the season with a disappointing display against a passionate Preston Grasshoppers at Lightfoot Green. The die was cast by the 10th minute with ‘hoppers leading by 12 points, having brutally dismantled the visitors set scrum. The carnage continued and despite a reply by Sanderson to pull one score back, by the half time whistle the home side had an unassailable 29 – 7 lead. A pointless second half restored some semblance of respectability for Ionians but they played the entire period pressured deep in their own half and continued to labour in the set.
On a dreich afternoon ‘hoppers clearly had a strategy to dominate “up front” and play tight 9 man rugby. It was clinically executed. Preston attacked from the off; following early success in the scrum No 8 Matt Lamprey picked up and drove for the line. Ruck ball was popped up to Paul Arnold who drove on before feeding a neat pass to James Gough who squeezed through a gap to dive over. Tom Davidson added the straightforward conversion and ‘hoppers were up and running, 7-0 after 5 hectic minutes.
Ionians woes multiplied three minutes later when the scrum disintegrated again and Lamprey rampaged away, Mark Wigham managed to stop him in his tracks but Rouban Birch was in close support and he raced unopposed to the line. Inexplicably Davidson missed from under the posts, but the hosts were well worth the 12-point lead.
Toni Kuku led Ionians’ first sortie into the ‘hoppers half,making a mazy run through the centre of the field and the visitors put together a series of drives but conceded a penalty at a scrum and ‘hoppers were able to clear. It was only a temporary reprieve. Ionians were able to secure a line-out 10m from the ‘hoppers line and a successful catch and drive allowed James Sanderson to break away to score. Lewis Minikin struck a sweet long range conversion to pull the score back to 12 – 7.
Directly from the kick-off the hosts worked the ball into the corner and gained a line-out close to the Ionians line. Arnold gathered the ball and ‘hoppers drove over for a try for Luke Proctor. As Arnold pointed out to the ecstatic home support, with a near musical rendition, “anything they can do we can do better” Davidson slotted the goal and ‘hoppers led 19 -7.
Ionians continued to be exposed in the scrum and a further penalty put ‘hoppers into the Ionians 22. The ball had a rare transmission across the pitch and Preston were only prevented from adding a fourth try when the referee pulled play back for crossing.
Ed Falkingham tidied up from the back of the resulting scrum and made an initial incursion allowing Lewis Minikin to scythe his way through the home midfield and take play well into the opposition half. He failed to see Steve Slingsby in support and was pulled to the ground. With no one else near he conceded a penalty for holding on. It was as close as Ionians got to a further score; ‘hoppers cleared down field and won a scrum close to the Ionians line, inevitably Lamprey gathered and drove down the blind side, providing winger Tyler Spence with space to cross for the bonus point try. Davidson did the honours and Preston held a healthy lead, 26 – 7, with a little over half an hour played.
The hosts were unable to press home their advantage any further until the stroke of half time when Davidson profited from another penalty award and added a goal. At the break Preston Grasshoppers were leading 29 – 7.
At the resumption Ionians made changes to the front row which brought temporary parity in the scrums but Ionians, in particular, had difficulty handling the slippery ball preventing any semblance of attacking rugby. The second period was played out almost entirely in the Ionians half of the pitch. Ionians showed a resolute defence, to which their supporters have become accustomed, and ‘hoppers showed less of the intensity they had produced in the opening half hour.
Late in the game Ionians had one last chance to put some gloss on the scoreboard but conspired to blow it; Billy Hardy made a break down the wing but failed to find his man with a delayed pass, regardless of that the ball was hacked forward and Ionians got to within 5m of the home line, Ionians won the ruck but indecision and confusion resulted in the ball been thrown directly into touch and the chance was lost.
Mercifully ‘hoppers won the line-out and Davidson jubilantly returned it from whence it came, ending a thoroughly disappointing afternoon for Ionians, if not for the hosts.