Sandal, ‘Gate and the Bees rack up half-centuries in landslides

SANDAL produced a storming second-half display to blitz leaders Chester 51-28.

For the second successive week they amassed 51 points, having swamped Lymm last time out.

A hugely entertaining first half finished with visitors Chester holding a narrow 28-24 lead. They took the lead with a converted try, only for fly-half Greg Wood to convert his own touchdown. The table-toppers stretched out to 14-7 before flanker Johnny Gatus scored for the hosts and then centre Mark Pease profited from a break by Wood to put Sandal 17-14 ahead.

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Back came Chester with their third converted try but winger Simon Frewin broke away for a seven-pointer, Chester finished the half with another converted try.

Sandal were determined to cut down their errors and starve the opposition of possession in the second half. Wood’s brace of penalties put them back ahead by two points before second row Austen Thompson widened the gap with his side’s fifth try.

Fellow lock Jimmy Stuart grabbed the next, again converted, and Pease completed the try-scoring. Wood landed his sixth successful kick.

Harrogate also surpassed 50 points in a 56-29 win over Rossendale.

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High quality attacking rugby saw them score four tries within 27 minutes and race into a 24-0 lead. The pressure continued and they were 32-0 up at half-time.

Tim Heaton was mauled over, Kyle Dench powered under the posts and then returning wing James Audsley-Beck raced over.

Chris Wilson wrapped up the bonus point try after the first quarter and Noel Minikin scored the fifth before the break with Callum Irvine kicking seven points.

These precise standards lapsed into some loose second-half play and Rossendale’s never-say-die spirit made this period very competitive.

Despite that Harrogate still scored 24 more points.

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Denton scored an excellent team try and some individual brilliance by Audsley-Beck, chipping the defender and sprinting onto it, provided the seventh try.

A Heaton midfield drive set up another Harrogate attack and Pete Wackett’s try brought up the home half-century. Audsley-Beck’s hat-trick try was another chip and chase.

By beating Penrith 53-22, Bradford and Bingley ensured all three Yorkshire teams hit a half-century of points.

It was possibly the frustration of not getting a game for three weeks that inspired The Bees to put together their most cohesive 40 minutes of rugby as they played at a pace and style the visitors simply could not live with in the first half, collecting 34 points along the way.

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It was perhaps understandable that the tempo slowed in the second half, but the game was clearly in the bag and Penrith had to improve on their poor first-half performance.

The pack laid a very solid foundation, but once the ball was out in open play, half backs Richard Scull and Steve Brimacombe used their full armoury of attacking options.

Richard Tafa, James Morton, Guy Ford and Adam Wellington all crossed in a dominant first half. Wellington added a second after the break before Penrith rallied with two tries in quick succession.

The Bees introduced Aaron Magee and the youngster made several impressive bursts but it was Richard Hughes who scored the final try.

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