Huddersfield YMCA were outgunned and punished for basic errors as they went down 47-27 at Firwood Waterloo in National III North.

Time and again YM handed soft possession to a good-quality opposition who had no second thoughts about capitalising on every mistake.

To say this was a below-par YM performance is an understatement, as they blundered from one mistake to the next.

YM were quickly behind when, after only three minutes, Waterloo inside centre Payne was on the end of a neat passing move to get over for an unconverted try.

Then, following a needless penalty, home hooker Croft forced his way over from close range. Booth added the extras and the YM were 12 behind after just five minutes.

Gavin Stead made a good break only to fail to see supporting men either side of him, but he did score from a resulting penalty (12-3).

YM then got onto the front foot and started to threaten the Waterloo line, but a lost lineout thwarted their hopes.

Influential back row Sam Hodge took a heavy knock and had to leave the field to be replaced by YM youngster Danny Dyson, who subsequently played well and showed he has lots of potential.

Stead missed a penalty soon after and it all went downhill from there.

Adam Ryder tried to put in a long pass which was quickly seized upon by Waterloo outside centre Cunningham, who cruised through a gap to race for the line unopposed. Booth added the extras for 19-3.

The lead was extended again when winger Crow ran through to claim another score before half time, allowing Booth the easiest conversion to seal a 26-3 lead at the break.

From the restart YM came out with a bit more purpose and again had a period on attack with Stead going in at the corner before missing the conversion.

Normal business was quickly resumed, however, as Waterloo pressure led to No6 King going over for another try converted by Booth (33-8).

YM were all over the place by now and in trying to get themselves back in the game they were making bad decisions, trying to run when kicks were needed.

So when Stead tried to run across the face of the oncoming defence, got himself caught in no-man’s land and the ball was turned over and flicked out to winger Masters, who went over for another try converted by Booth.

As the clock ticked away and being 40-8 down, YM suddenly developed a sense of urgency and a nice build up in the centre enabled Bentley to come off his wing and sprint under the posts. Stead converted.

Unfortunately, a Tom Wood mistake led to an interception from Booth, who gleefully raced away to score before adding the extras to make it 47-15.

It appeared that YM were done, but in fairness they came back strongly once again and Stead broke, throwing a pass high over the defence to Tom Bulloch, who finished to the right of the posts, from where Stead’s conversion made it 47-22.

With a minute left on the clock the YM won a scrum and drove Waterloo back, the ball being moved by Bulloch, Stead and Bentley to Ryder, who scored in the left corner.

Stead couldn’t manage the conversion, but amazingly YM had managed to salvage a hard-won four-try bonus point.

Eventually the penny will drop, but YM have to realise they can’t play Yorkshire III style rugby in National III and expect to get away with it.

Team; Stead, Tindall, Bentley, Van Rooyan, Ryder, Wood, Wilson, Slater, Hill, Moore, Housley, Bell, Whitehead, Hodge, Lumb. Interchange: Dyson, Bulloch, Watson (all used).