Heath RUFC Halifax

Selection:

Carter Haigh, Jordan Shaw, George Heron, Carrick K Payne, Josh Beck, Brook Ward, Sam Sharp, Will Baxter.

Tom Egan, Harry Fell, Reuben Flynn, Ben Hall, Sam Fletcher, Elliot Knight, Jack Bruce.

Richard Dance, Max Rowntree, Harry Granger.

Scorers

Tries: Flynn (3), Knight, Beck, Fletcher, & Egan.
Cons: Fletcher (4).

STAR PLAYERS

Jordan Shaw

Reuben Flynn

Match Report

The Hawks made the short trip up to Warley to take on a Halifax Vandals team determined to earn local bragging rights.

The home side opened the scoring with a penalty after debutant, Harry Fell was taken late after the ball had gone but conceded the penalty for retaliation (3-0). Heath hit straight back, from a Vandals mistake, Will Baxter, Tom Egan, and Ben Hall combine for Elliot Knight to finish acrobatically in the corner (3-5). The visitors spent the next fifteen minutes under the cosh, conceding a number of penalties which resulted in a further three successful penalty kicks (12-5).

Heath came back well, scoring the next two tries against the elements. Firstly, Reuben Flynn scored his first on the end of good hands from Sam Fletcher and Jack Bruce, Fletcher converted (12-12). The Hawks forwards were on top not only at scrum time but rumbling forward, led by player of the match Jordan Shaw, George Heron, Sam Sharp and Carter Haigh went close before ex Vandal Josh Beck crashed over for a deserved try, Fletcher converted (12-19). Fletcher was yellow carded after he chased back to bring down a rare Vandals break only to be deemed to have done it illegally. The Vandals finished the half with two more well struck penalties (18-19 HT).

The Hawks needed to tighten up and use the slope and strong wind to their advantage. The home side controlled the opening ten minutes, carrying hard and punching holes in the Hawks defence. Fletcher returned and was back in the thick of the action, combining with Fell and Hall to create space for Flynn to score, Fletcher converted (18-26). Fell, Egan and Max Rowntree kicked well throughout the second half to keep the home side in their own half. Beck, Baxter, Sharp, and Shaw were punching big holes in the Vandal’s defence as they began to tire. Flynn completed his second hatrick in two weeks, benefiting from good field position and good hands (18-31).

The Hawks looked the more likely to add to their tally, Rowntree, Egan and Brook Ward running well with Vandals struggling to contain Heath's relentless attacks. The returning Richard Dance, Carrick Keighley-Payne and Baxter made some big hits in defence before the home team’s flanker saw yellow for a high shot. Fletcher popped up with a try, running a great line off Fell to scythe through, converting his own score (18-38). Sharp looked a certain scorer as he ran over the winger, before being hit well by his opposite number in the corner. Right at the death Heath kicked deep, the retreating prop looked to carry it back only to lose control of the ball with Egan collecting and running clear for Heath’s seventh and final try (18-43 FT).

This was a scrappy performance against combative opponents who made it difficult at times. We return to North Dean for the first time next Saturday when we face Bramley.

League Results

Here

League Table

Here

Photography.

Sorry, no game coverage this week