Harrogate weather storm as Otley are left to rue absence of Ireland in defeat to the Grasshoppers

Harrogate kicked off into a fierce wind and, after just six minutes, second-row Wilson won a lineout in the opposition half to set up a driving maul.

A speedy service from scrum-half Wickham and slick passing from Irvine, Dench and Bottomley set up just enough space for winger Audsley-Beck to squeeze in at the right corner for a well-worked try.

Rowntree only just missed the conversion into the teeth of a howling gale. Ten minutes later, Rowntree succeeded with a 30-metre penalty to extend the visitors’ lead 0-8.

Bromsgrove were throwing everything into this game and were able to gain both territory and possession, which eventually led to a penalty for Higgins.

Against the run of play, with 20 minutes gone, Harrogate fly-half Irvine skilfully intercepted in his 22. He evaded several despairing tackles to run the length of the field for a try to make it 13-3 at the break.

Just before half-time, the hurricane force storm had arrived with rain, wind and hail stones and the players raced to the changing rooms for shelter.

Four minutes into the second half, the storm eased but Bromsgrove’s driving maul produced a try between the posts for prop Salisbury. Higgins converted but Rowntree ‘s penalty made it 16-10.

It was another 17 minutes before Harrogate created the next opportunity. Irvine made a break just inside his own half and made 30 metres before he passed to flanker Adair, who skipped past several defenders for the third and final try between the posts, and Rowntree converted.

Harrogate replacement second-row Johnson was yellow-carded for offside and Bromsgrove took advantage to force a penalty try which gave them their consolation score and a losing bonus point.

Otley suffered a 13-12 home defeat to Preston Grasshoppers.

Once again Otley missed the injured Mark Ireland in a game when accurate kicking was so essential in difficult conditions and the hosts crucially missed a penalty in front of the posts.

The referee also found it necessary to take advice from his assistants regarding who scored three of the four tries due to the mud masking identification.

The first try came on five minutes when scrum-half Stephen Depledge pounced on a charged down kick to break through and good support saw No 8 Freddie Watson go over, centre Chris Gemmell converting.

Both sides showed excellent commitment and on 25 minutes prop Peter Altham was in possession when the visitors drove over from a line-out.

Otley conceded a penalty near the posts for full-back Sean Taylor to secure the lead on 51 minutes. They moved further ahead when winger Matthew Gargett went in but Otley fought back strongly, replacement winger Boluaji Fagborun scoring in the last minute but the difficult conversion sailed wide.

Hull faced struggling Dudley Kingswinford and inflicted a heavy defeat on their hapless opponents.

The young Dudley side could offer no resistance to Hull, who ran in five tries to win 62-0. Full-back James Barnard scored a first half hat-trick and Santiago Socino added a brace. Greg Lound compounded Dudley’s misery, converting three of the tries.

It was a repeat performance in the second half as tries from Jamie Clarke, Joe Stafford, Jesse Bright and a double from Max Argyle finished the job.

Sheffield Tigers crashed to a 31-7 defeat at Stourbridge after resting a number of regulars.

Tigers trailed 17-0 at the break after Stourbridge scored tries through a rolling maul, open play and through one of the backs.

It was weather for forwards with the ground turning to thick mud and Stourbridge continued their dominance in the second half.

The Tigers’ consolation try came after the break with Josh Redfern going over after some patient build-up play. Will Carrington added the conversion.