Johnson kicks late Huddersfield winner

Preparations for the second-versus-third contest were hardly ideal for the visitors.

After their eight-game victory run ended with an unexpected 15-13 reverse at Hull in the first game of 2012, Huddersfield saw their match against Loughborough Students fall foul of the weather.

A defeat to Caldy would have risked their position in the table but, instead, Huddersfield recorded a narrow win.

The scores were locked at 3-3 after the opening 40 minutes, Johnson landing Huddersfield’s penalty.

Caldy were dominating the lineout but some personnel changes shored things up for the visitors, especially the introduction of new boy Lawrence Sanderson at prop.

Two further penalties from Johnson edged his side ahead 9-3, only for Caldy to hit back with a converted try.

However, mirroring the game at Huddersfield, which Caldy won 26-25 with a late kick, some repeated pick and drives put Huddersfield in position for a last-gasp penalty which Johnson struck perfectly in the face of a driving wind to claim the spoils.

Sheffield Tigers 8 Nuneaton 3

Sheffield Tigers, beaten 26-22 at Nuneaton in October and just one place ahead of their rivals prior to this match, pulled clear with a hard-fought win as they adapted better to the gale force wind blowing down the Dore Moor pitch.

Remarkably, Nuneaton took the lead after 11 minutes when their stand-off Lee Chapman managed to put over a drop goal with an excellent kick against the wind.

Tigers pulled level after 25 minutes when Jonny West, playing at scrum-half, landed a penalty goal.

Tigers just had the edge in a game between two well-matched packs, and they were rewarded with the only try of the match nine minutes into the second half when No 8 Andy Barnes crashed over for a try.

West’s conversion into the wind fell short of the mark.