Amateur RU: Huddersfield’s crucial test against Hull Ionians

Jan 29 2010 by David Lockwood, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HUDDERSFIELD take on Hull Ionians tomorrow at Lockwood Park (3.00) in a game they simply must win if they are to mount a serious challenge to avoid the drop from the National League at the end of the season.

After battling their way up the League structure and performing so well to finally get into the National League Division II two years ago, it would be a travesty if they were to slide back down – especially in the club’s Centenary year.

But the reality is they are now third bottom (which is the last relegation place) some eight points behind both Broadstreet and Ionians, although they do have a game in hand on the former and two matches in hand on the Hull side.

As director of rugby Mark Sowerby has said once or twice recently: “Home games against teams around you in the League are where you simply have to ‘up the ante’ to secure the win.

“And we do owe Ionians one, big time, after we were ‘humped’ up front by their pack over in Hull earlier in the season before losing 30-13.”

That was by far the biggest margin of defeat Huddersfield have endured this season, and it was the start of the rot, for up until then they had won four of their first five games, but since the Ionians thumping have been winless in the League ever since – their only respite coming in a modest Yorkshire Cup win at Cleckheaton.

“Unfortunately, when we went to Hull, we were without experienced prop Tony Stringwell, whose wife had just given birth the previous night, and his replacement Jack McPhail was virtually playing on one leg for most of the game after suffering an early injury,” continued the coach.

Huddersfield will be back to full strength in the pack, with Gavin Rhodes returning after recovering from a neck injury (suffered after having a nap in one of his own hospital’s beds!) but the three-quarters are disrupted after centre Matt Clarke tore a hamstring at Fylde last week.

That means Chris Johnson will take over as outside centre with Chris Duffy coming in to the stand-off role and Damian Clayton wins the nod at scrum half as Sowerby looks for ‘a bit more physicality’ at No9.

“It’s no reflection on young Joel Hinchliffe who has been playing well at scrum half, but Damian just gives us that little bit more physical presence around the edges which we will need,” added Sowerby.

Huddersfield: Owen, Sutcliffe, Paxman, Johnson, Van Vuuren; Duffy, Clayton; Stringwell, Davies, Slater, Harris, Rhodes, Lewis, Whitehead, Hyde. Subs: McPhail, Entressengle, Hinchliff, Sharpe, Wood.