HUDDERSFIELD RU 60

BRADFORD & BINGLEY 0

National II North

HUDDERSFIELD hit the top of National II North after blitzing Bradford & Bingley with an eight-try romp at Lockwood Park on Saturday.

Having already beaten Waterloo (41-21) and Caldy (32-17), both away from home in their opening two League games, Huddersfield made their seasonal home bow in confident mood, and they were soon on their way when South African full-back Donvan van Vuuren came into the line to cross for the opening try, to which Chris Johnson knocked over the first of seven conversions.

And the scoreboard was soon on the move again as centre Lee Paxman burst through for Field’s second converted try.

But then the home side seemed to lose their way a little and although having plenty of possession, had just a Johnson penalty to send them in 17-0 ahead at the break.

However, after being put straight over ‘the errors of their way’ by Director of Rugby Mark Sowerby during the half-time break they came out all guns blazing in the second half and were quickly over the whitewash again, this time through winger Adam Sutcliffe.

From that point, and with the match sewn up, it became something of a procession as Ben Paxman joined his brother on the scoresheet, before hooker James Davies sold a dummy and plunged over for try No5, Johnson adding both conversions.

It was then the turn of the free-scoring fly-half himself to get on the try-sheet, when he intercepted and ran half the length of the field to go over.

And incredibly from the kick-off, Bradford & Bingley tried the identical passing move, allowing Johnson to pick off an identical pass and race away for an identical score, both of which he converted.

In the closing minutes, Lee Paxman added his second try of the day, while Johnson rounded off the scoring with a second penalty to bring him a personal tally of 30 points, and the man-of-the-match award.

“Obviously it’s still early days, but we are playing really well at the moment, and if we can continue the form we are showing, then I think we’ll take a bit of beating,” said an upbeat Sowerby.

“I had a word at half-time, because we weren’t just doing the basics in the first half.

“We were trying to score every time we got the ball instead of building up the position.

“But in the second half we played very well, going back to basics, building up the pressure on Bradford, and then reaping the benefits.

“We know there are going to be hard challenges ahead, but the team are playing with confidence, and that counts for a lot.”

Huddersfield: Van Vuuren, Ryder, Paxman (B), Paxman (L), Sutcliffe; Clayton, Johnson; Slater, Davies, Stringwell, Harris, Rhodes, Sharpe, Whitehead, Hyde. Subs: (all used) Battye, Entressengle, Hinchliff, Lewis, Hinchliffe.