Rugby Union: Huddersfield RU 20 Westoe 28

Nov 2 2009 by David Lockwood, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Rugby Union: Huddersfield crash out again

This time Johnson’s conversion attempt sailed through the middle and the Lockwood Park men went in at the interval 15-14 to the good and seemingly with renewed confidence.

Sadly, however, it was Westoe who took the bull by the horns from the restart, and with skipper Gareth Nesbit prompting operations from prop, the pack started to boss Huddersfield in the set-piece and it was no surprise when, with only four minutes gone, they hit the front again, this time from a catch-and-drive which ended with No8 Michael Ellery going over.

Rayner again added the extra points.

Huddersfield took off Whitehead in exchange for Gareth Lewis, while Ben Paxman, a replacement for the injured Donovan van Vuuren in the first half, linked up well with Owen on a rare attack, which again fizzled out because of poor handling.

And with 13 minutes to go, the home side handed Westoe yet another gift, when just inside their own half and trying to force a pass, they only succeeded in popping up an interception which centre Mark Olugbodie gratefully accepted and blazed away for his side’s fourth try, which Rayner again converted.

Alex Battye and Tom van Rooyen came on for the last 10 minutes for Sam Slater and Sutcliffe, while Westoe skipper Nesbit also came off, and suddenly Huddersfield began to find more solidity in the scrum.

Hyde made another break as Westoe suddenly found themselves penned inside their own 22, and finally after being held up over the line once, Lee Paxman finished off a series of drives to cross on the final whistle.

Sadly, the usually reliable Johnson pulled his conversion attempt, thus missing out on a bonus point (for having lost the game by a margin of only seven points) which just about summed up Huddersfield’s disappointing day.

Huddersfield: Owen; Ryder, Van Vuuren (Paxman B 32), Paxman (L), Sutcliffe (Van Rooyen 70); Johnson, Clayton; Slater (Battye 70), Davies, Stringwell, Harris, Hinchliff, Sharpe, Whitehead (Lewis 60), Hyde.

Westoe: Rayson, Clark (C), Clark (J), Olugbodie, Walker; Rayner, Judson; Nesbit, Elliott, Cookson, Robinson, Bird, Burnham, Myers, Ellery. Subs: Mutchal, Tennet, Sheilds.

Referee: Dave Edmunds (The Wirral).