By Richard Sykes
Huddersfield fielded an experimental development 15 in their Yorkshire Cup clash against Bradford Salem at Lockwood Park.
Several players were making their first team debuts, several playing together for the first time. In a game that bristled with energy from start to finish Bradford Salem scored five tries to Huddersfield’s three and progressed to the next round on the back of a 38-21 win.
Field’s team was made up of a few old heads and an abundance of precocious young talents. With the half-back combination of Ben Thornton and Josh Walker injecting vitality, the side showed adventure in attack and rugged determination in defence.
The game assumed a frantic pace from off with both sides creating early opportunities but by the half hour the visitors had built up a 14-0 lead.
Salem are top of Regional 2 NE having won all their games and their strong runners, like full-back Vasuitola and centre Ikahihifo, were proving a test for the Field defence.
Josh Charnock opened the scoring with a classic winger’s try with Vasuitola exploiting a gap in the line for the second. Fly-half Harry Williams had a faultless afternoon with the boot and landed the first two of his five conversions.
Field weren’t fazed by the early setbacks and produced a positive response to each. Their big ball carriers made good yards with No8 Xander Nash, prop Jake McFarlin and lock Dan Lloyd all making noticeable contributions.
Shortly after Salem’s second score Field got their first. From a penalty on the Salem 22 flanker Will Cossey took play close with a bold charge from a quick tap and when Salem were penalised at the breakdown skipper Darren Neilly crashed over from short range. Walker landed the first of his three conversions.
Steffan Newport put Field back on the front foot from the re-start with a 30-metre break but when Salem turned the tide it took a great touchline tackle by Field winger Josh Cook to halt their momentum.
The half finished with a third try for Salem and a second for Charnock to leave the half-time score a flattering 21-7 to the visitors.
Field narrowed the gap after the interval. Full-back Charlie Foreman got things moving with a clever chip over the defence, winger Archie Armitage went close and Neilly finished with a try from a nifty, short lineout move.
Foreman and Armitage combined again in a promising right wing move and Ben Thornton broke clear only for a fumble to cost him his chance.
As possession kept changing hands the game remained in the balance until the last 10 minutes when Charnock completed his hat-trick with a try between the posts after a 5 metre scrum.
Williams added a long range penalty with five minutes remaining before over-ambition by Field allowed Salem to seal the game with time almost up. Having lost possession trying to run the ball out from deep inside their 22 Ikahihifo scored his second and Salem’s fifth try.
Fittingly Field had the final word. In the dying seconds lock John Morell became the third of three Salem players to be yellow carded in the game and McFarlin crashed over for a try from the penalty. Walker’s corner flag conversion brought the game to an end.
After the game skipper Darren Neilly expressed pride in his young team’s performance. He said: “It was a hard game against good opposition.
“Selection was about giving people an opportunity and the boys fronted up and demonstrated their Huddersfield DNA.
“It was a bit of a Barbarians’ performance because we haven’t been together long but there were some outstanding individual performances out there today.”
Huddersfield: Foreman; Armitage; Newport; Hawden; Cook; Walker; Thornton B; McFarlin; Phayer; Neilly; Lloyd; Dalton; Cossey; Thornton R; Nash. Replacements: Shiel; Stubley; Royds; Tyne; Hinchliff.
Image by: RAY MORRIS
