By Richard Sykes
Stourbridge 61 Huddersfield RUFC 22
Huddersfield RUFC showed character and resilience after a first half in which they conceded 49 points and seven tries.
The visitors could have slumped to a crushing defeat but the players showed a toughness and resolve to ‘win’ the second half and come away with a valuable bonus point.
Stourbridge maintained their 100% record in National 2 North with a win which elevated them to fourth place in the table, two points behind leaders Sedgley Park with a game in hand.
The home side had the game sown up by half-time, scoring seven of their nine tries before the interval. There were hattricks for hooker Jack Lea and winger Arthur Morgan plus other tries from full-back Joe Heatley, winger Dan Rundell and scrum-half Fred Morgan.
Huddersfield took the lead four minutes into the game when a cross field kick by Will Milner dropped perfectly for winger Arthur Wilkinson to run on to and score the first try of the afternoon. The score seemed to serve as a wake-up call for the home team who thereafter took control of the match and showed their class, with Heatley converting all seven of their first half tries.
Half time: Stourbridge 49 Huddersfield 5
To Huddersfield’s credit they did not capitulate and they came out battling after the interval. Although Rundell’s try just after half-time extended the home team’s advantage, tries for Huddersfield by flanker Eddie Brown, scrum-half Jonny Mason and wing Elliot Knight earned the visitors a try scoring bonus point. Milner completed the afternoon’s scoring on the hour when he converted Knight’s try.
Huddersfield head coach Gaz Lewis was philosophical in defeat and said: “We met a very powerful and well-drilled Stourbridge side. At half time I feared we would roll over but we set ourselves a target of scoring four tries and taking a bonus point. In true Huddersfield style we managed to achieve that.
“On Wednesday we were not in a position to field a front row. Looking at this scenario holistically and recognising there are improvements to make we will take the point and move forward.”
