National Two North reports

After a tense opening half hour, it was James Cameron who started the scoring with a long-range penalty for offside. Cameron scored nine out of his 10 kicks at goal, including several from the flanks.

Hull then got stuck into the game with a try from James Kirk and two from Will Robinson before the interval. Moments after Cameron's penalty, Maea David's storming 20-metre run to the 22 finished with a long pass to the supporting Kirk to finish unopposed up the left.

Robinson then finished a 40-metre run after being released by Matt White onto the left wing from good short passing move. Five minutes later, a close-range catch and drive for Hull was switched to the left flank where Kirk offloaded to Robinson to finish for a 21-point lead at half-time.

Chris Murphy got the bonus point and a try on his 100th appearance just after the break when he supported his brother Phil's dive from the scrum five metres out and planted the ball down.

Kirk scored again moments later after stretching for a high pass and a give-and-go with Alex Piercy left him unmarked on the right wing to finish from distance.

Five minutes later, Ollie Cook embarked on a second half hat-trick as the Lions defence lost its head. The centre ran in two tries from close range without a challenge as the defence seemed to wait for the referee's whistle or team-mates to make a tackle. Rob Devonshire got in on the act in the same manner with 20 minutes left but Cook finished his hat-trick from a 20-metre catch-and-drive and Cameron missed his only conversion of the day.

Hull Ionians 30 Nuneaton 25

HULL IONIANS dominated the first half and deservedly led 20-6 at the break.

Two quick tries from Gary Stephenson took them clear before the wind and rain drove into their faces, bringing the Nuneaton pack with it, and the visitors staged a tremendous comeback to pick up a losing bonus point.

Nuneaton dominated possession for the first 10 minutes but on three minutes Joe Sanders charged down a clearance on half way, plucking it out of the air and sprinting to the corner to score.

On 10 minutes, Ionians made their first attack and finished it, Mark Wigham breaking from a line-out before Steve Slingsby ran towards the line where good support saw Adam Thomas finish.

Too many penalties conceded by Ionians kept Nuns in the game and Lee Chapman kicked a goal before a chase from Stephenson forced an attacking line-out and recycled ball saw James Ferguson cross and convert.

Chapman kicked another penalty then a kick-and-chase by Mark Duxbury put Nuns under pressure and Ferguson kicked a penalty.

Ionians opened the second half with Joe Makin and Slingsby making ground to send Stephenson in at the corner.

Ferguson then collected his chip ahead to send Stephenson in from 70 metres.

Then the driving rain came and the game was transformed with the Nuneaton pack taking control to score three tries in the last 15 minutes.

A perfect cross-kick from Chapman saw Llyr Griffiths catch and score, then the rumbling pack drove over Taylor and then Dunkley and Chapman converted two of the tries.

Morley 16 Harrogate 13

SIMON BRADSHAW held his nerve to slot a last-minute penalty and secure Morley's first win in five matches and end a four-match winning run from Harrogate.

Going into the game on the back of a disappointing loss at Kendal the previous week, Morley made the brighter start and took the lead with a try from back-row forward Sam Mularkey after 22 minutes, left-wing Bradshaw adding the conversion.

The visitors pulled back five points with a try from left winger James Broadley two minutes before half-time but Bradshaw's penalty sent Morley into the break with a 10-5 advantage.

The winger stretched that with another penalty early in the second half but Harrogate came back at them and substitute winger Michael Aspinal went over to reduce the gap to three points.

That was soon wiped out with 10 minutes to go when Aspinal landed a penalty and it looked as though the visitors might just have the momentum to get their noses in front.

A tense last period was resolved when Harrogate conceded a penalty with a minute to go and Bradshaw's confident kick clinched a deserved win for Morley.

Loughborough 37 Huddersfield 10

Huddersfield produced some enterprising rugby but could not match a slick Loughborough side who are looking capable of running away with the title.

The visitors made a good start to the game but still trailed 22-10 at the break. Chris Johnson put them on the board with a well-struck penalty and he followed that with a try when, keeping the ball tight in the forwards, Huddersfield went through the phases, picking and going, in order to work an overlap on the wing that Johnson exploited to score in the corner. He then slotted home the conversion from the touchline.

In the second half, the visitors were kept at arms' length for much of the game as Loughborough went on to score a further 15 points and make sure they retained their 100 per cent record.

To their credit, Huddersfield never wilted and finished the match the stronger but could not make the breakthrough despite being camped on the opposition line for much of the last 10 minutes.

Berrick Barnes put on an exhibition of kicking as Australia battled to a hard-fought 32-14 win over Italy at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Barnes kicked a perfect eight out of eight – six penalties and conversions from tries by Drew Mitchell and Rocky Elsom – but it was far from comfortable.

Italy pulled to within four points at half-time and a try from Robert Barbieri again exposed the visitors' scrum problems.