By Richard Sykes
Huddersfield RUFC scored five tries, including a couple of scorchers from winger Kian Stewart, to record their fourth successive victory.
Field defeated bottom-of-the table Selby 34-26 at Lockwood Park in their final league match of 2024 and head into the New Year in third place in the Regional 1 North East table.
While it was a victory, head coach Danny Brough was underwhelmed by the performance and said: “I thought we were pretty average, to be honest.
“We didn’t respect the ball enough and our defensive line speed was poor. Selby are a good, young team and we let them come on to us although we scored some good tries.
“I hope it serves as a bit of a kick up the backside before we take on York. Today I thought it was a case of a good team playing badly and winning well which is sometimes the case in rugby.”
Field played a solid first half by the end of which they had secured the try scoring bonus point and a commanding 29-14 lead.
Their impressive centre/back three link play posed a constant threat for the visitors, injected excitement into the game and led directly to three of Field’s five scores.
The first came just two minutes into the game when full-back Lewis Workman fed Kian Stewart on the left wing for a corner flag try which went unconverted.
Selby’s play throughout was enterprising and belied their league position. Prop Max Wotton twice made impressive line breaks in the early exchanges and a converted try by winger Adam Infante gave the visitors a brief lead on 10 minutes.
A penalty by fly-half Will Milner recaptured the lead for Field three minutes later, which was extended by converted tries by Fin Stewart and prop Callum Thompson by the half hour.
Stewart’s try rounded off a fluent spell when the ball reached him on the right wing. Thompson’s came behind a 5-metre scrum which Field were awarded when Selby’s scrambling defence was forced to dot down after an attacking grubber kick had been poked in-goal.
Field had the upper hand in the scrummages and the setpiece provided a solid platform behind which scrum-half Matty Briggs could dictate. After a couple of thrusts were held up short Thompson found a chink in the line and powered through.
Selby were undaunted by the setbacks and continued to show endeavour and create chances. As the first half drew to a close they mounted a spell of sustained pressure on the Field line.
After the home side was penalised at a maul, Selby lock Paul Townend crashed through from close range for a try after which fly-half Henry Wright landed his second successful kick.
Field’s bonus point try came on the stroke of half-time and was set up by a fine penalty kick to touch by Workman from deep inside his own half.
From a 10-metre line out Field produced a slick passage of play. Ed Barber broke good ground in the centre and, after the ball had passed this way and that through the hands, lock Thiu Barnard applied the finish. Milner’s conversion brought the half to an end.
Selby demonstrated their intent from the off when the final 40 minutes got underway, forcing Field onto the back foot.
The home side mounted a strong defence of their line and eventually managed to get the ball clear but the visitors went on to shade the second half two tries to one.
Field continued to look threatening in the wide channels, with the Stewart brothers combining well to cause headaches for the Selby defence.
Field flanker Tom Haywood made a classy break and after patient, methodical continuance Selby were penalised.
The penalty took Field within 10 metres of the Selby line and after a clean catch from the lineout the ball was whipped cross field, with a final long pass reaching Kian Stewart in oceans of left wing space for his second try.
On the hour mark a sixth Field try and a final nail in the Selby coffin looked on the cards. A high-paced passing exchange between Fin Stewart and Workman sliced through the Selby left field defence but referee Garland judged the final pass, which put Workman clear, forward.
The last 10 minutes belonged to Selby. They added two more tries and finished the game one agonising point short of a well-deserved defensive bonus point.
James Bramley got the first of them completing a move that looked like an unopposed run out on the training ground.
From a lineout 10 metres inside the Field half, the ball went through the hands across the full width to Bramley on the left wing who sped round the defence for a try which Wright converted.
Full-back Ben Poskitt got the final try of the day, touching down after some clever switches in play as the visitors worked their way to the whitewash. Wright failed to convert.
Huddersfield travel to take on second-placed York in their first game of 2025; their final 10 minutes of rugby in the old year a reminder that there is no room for complacency as they make their tilt at the title.
Huddersfield: Workman; Stewart F; Barber; Horsfall; Stewart K; Milner; Briggs; Thompson; Moore; Sanderson; Barnard; Dalton; Christian; Haywood; Patterson. Replacements: Myers; Neilly; Lloyd.
Image by: RAY MORRIS
