Huddersfield thrashed as Hull warm-up for Robinson revival

HULL's second-half display against Huddersfield ensured a devastating result to get the East Yorkshire side back on track in National Two North with their first nilling for 10 months.

Victory in the Yorkshire derby took them above Huddersfield and sets them up perfectly for a trip to Fylde next week, when they hope to come face to face with England World Cup winner Jason Robinson.

After missed penalties from both teams in the first 25 minutes, Tevita Vaikona received a pass from Ollie Hardisty on the left wing and smashed through the line before outpacing the last man to run between the posts to give Hull the lead; James Kirk converting.

Ten minutes later Kirk scored a 25-metre penalty from an illegal challenge to give the home side a solid lead at half-time.

Huddersfield had no answer Hull hit their stride in the second half with Vaikona's second try after just four minutes.

Hull were fouled five metres from the line and the quick-tap penalty and run from Maea David gave him the opportunity to throw a high ball out to the left wing which Vaikona dived on to increase the lead.

Five minutes later, Vaikona offloaded to Will Robinson who then embarked on a lightning run to the right corner evading three challenges before Kirk converted. An even better team try got Hull the bonus point with 10 minutes left as Hardisty found the hard-working Kirk again running up the right. Despite being tackled with 25 metres to go, winger Danny Smith grabbed the loose ball in the air and finished the try off, Kirk converting.

Finally, Kirk again darted up the right with Sione Onesi in support. The passing between the two was seamless as Onesi dived over the line in the right corner, although Kirk missed the final conversion.

Hull's Adi Longbone said: "It certainly was our best game of the season. It felt really good to nil them as we concentrated really hard on our discipline.

"Next week is a big game and if Jason Robinson is playing we will have to try to nullify him."

Rugby Lions 7

Morley 35

TWO players on debut grabbed tries as Morley landed a second successive win and a bonus point to open up a four-point gap on the Lions.

After a poor start to the season, Morley are finally settling into something like the form they showed last season and despite going behind to an early converted try, always looked the better side.

Charlie Spon-Smith put them on the board with a penalty before Peter Martin, who has joined the club after coming over from Ireland, marked his debut with a try.

Spon-Smith stretched the lead to 11-7 with a penalty and after the break Morley opened up. Substitute winger Simon Bradshaw sprinted in, then the pack weighed in with tries from prop Tom Moody and No 8 Craig Field, with Bradshaw's conversion making it 28-7.

There was still time for Sam Mullarkey, who has signed since joining Leeds University, to grab his debut try with Bradshaw slotting home the final kick.

Harrogate 17

Loughborough Students 34

HARROGATE led for most of the match but Loughborough's fitness and organisation took them to a commanding victory.

Crucial errors allowed Loughborough back into the game but Harrogate continued to compete strongly and the final score was not an accurate reflection.

From the kick-off, the home pack put in a long driving maul that resulted in an offside from which Ali Chalmers kicked Harrogate into a three-point lead.

The pattern continued with forward dominance creating good ball which was well orchestrated by half-backs Tom Bugge and Kyle Dench.

Loughborough's George Drake equalised before debutant flanker, Kerry Wood combined well with Harrogate's powerful young No 8 Alex Rieder as Chalmers kicked two more penalties to establish a 9-3 lead at the break.

A further Chalmers penalty extended the lead but Lougborough countered and a clever Drake chip was seized on by Craig Holland who scored in the corner. Drake's conversion made it 12-10 which became a slender advantage when Harrogate went offside and Drake kicked a penalty.

Harrogate then wasted a chance to retake the lead after they'd been awarded a penalty for a Loughborough offside. Repeated 'verbals' to the referee led to the penalty being reversed, prompting a defining shift in momentum.

The Students' Under-21 International second row, Charlie Matthews, burst through Harrogate's midfield to score a converted try.

Loughborough extended their lead through some brilliant individual wing play by Holland, who ran strongly out of defence to score a converted try in the corner.

Back came Harrogate and, from good ball, space was created for Ed Smithies to score.

Finally, another attempted attack from defence was countered by the tall Matthews plucking a Harrogate miss-pass out of the air and charging through to score his second try as all Harrogate's earlier good work was undone.

Preston Grasshoppers 20

Hull Ionians 17

HULL Ionians dominated possession and territory and outscored Preston three tries to two but too many errors saw the hosts take their chances and kick the easier goals.

Tom Hughes was gifted an early try for the hosts with Mark Edwards converting then adding a drop goal after a string of penalties put him in range.

Trailing 10-0, Ionians laid siege to the line and after a difficult penalty was missed, Joe Sanders was driven over in the corner.

Another drop goal from Edwards increased the Hoppers lead. An attempted cross-kick at the start of the second half screwed sideways, wrong-footing everyone and creating space for Matt Hughes to race home, Edwards converting to make it 20-5.

Ionians dominated the rest of the play and power play drove Simon Jenkins over off a lineout then good support play saw Joe Sanders send Joe Makin under the posts, Dan Porter converting. Any chance of retaking the lead was thwarted by a succession of Ionians errors.