HULL KR 36 CATALANS DRAGONS 12
STEPHEN IBBETSON, LNER Community Stadium, York, Saturday
HULL KR are into their third major final in as many seasons – and will be strong favourites to finally end a 40-year trophy wait at Wembley next month.
In front of a sold-out crowd – all four sides red and white in a semi-final that was neutral in name only – they delivered for their expectant supporters against a Catalans side which battled but couldn’t much the quality of their opposition.
Mikey Lewis was once more the Robins’ beating heart, while James Batchelor scored two of their first-half tries and set up the other to set them on their way to victory.
Also top of Super League, Hull KR look better placed than ever for silverware after the disappointment of two years ago, when they lost at Wembley to Leigh Leopards, and last year’s Grand Final against Wigan Warriors.
Things went to script in the early stages as they scored the opening two tries, the first after taking advantage of Luke Keary booting the ball out on the full.
Lewis slid a kick in behind and highly-rated young fullback Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet misjudged its direction, allowing Batchelor – playing at centre with Oliver Gildart sidelined – to touch down.
And Batchelor completed his unlikely double inside 14 minutes, again simply putting down a loose ball. This time Lewis had possession knocked from his grasp by Oliver Partington after beating Théo Fages and going for the line, with his team-mate on hand to finish the job.
Lewis’ conversion made it 10-0 but Catalans showed their stomach for the fight with their best spell of the game in response.
Reimis Smith – whose knock-on led to Batchelor’s second try – was found in space down the left before dummying a pass wide and stepping back inside to run through and open their account.
Then Keary gleefully ran in after the ball was knocked down from a Tommy Makinson kick which two players from each side jumped for.
It took so long for the video referee to come to a decision amid the tangle of arms in the air that Sauaso Sue and Tevita Pangai Jr passed the time with a heated confrontation on the sideline, continuing a feud that started on the field in the opening minutes.
Aispuro-Bichet’s two goals nudged the Dragons in front but only for five minutes, as the Robins hit back through their magic man Lewis. Batchelor repaid the earlier favours with an offload to assist the halfback, whose conversion made it 16-12 at the break.
That advantage was extended by two points in no time at all following the resumption, as Catalans interference at the play-the-ball gave Lewis an easy penalty kick.
And the lead was doubled, to 24-12, in the 54th minute by the versatile Jack Broadbent who showed his nous at fullback – covering for cup-tied former Dragon Arthur Mourgue – with a run off hooker Jez Litten which saw him streak clear.
Chances came and went for both sides as the heat increased, with Lewis unable to take in a Tyrone May pass at one end and a Nick Cotric offload for Keary going forward at the other.
Litten also made a fantastic break only for the support to be slow to arrive, Dean Hadley eventually making it first but closed down.
However, the ‘que será’ chants could begin eleven minutes from time when Broadbent raced in for a second time, on this occasion supporting a break down the left involving Kelepi Tanginoa and Joe Burgess.
And there was time for a sixth and final try when slick passing out the back allowed winger Burgess to surge in and complete the Robins’ glorious afternoon in the sunshine.
GAMESTAR: Mikey Lewis took this game by the scruff of the neck from the very beginning.
GAMEBREAKER: Two tries by Jack Broadbent lit up the second half and secured Hull KR’s Wembley return.
HIGHLIGHT REEL: Jack Broadbent’s first score was a thrilling burst through Catalans’ defence.
MATCHFACTS
HULL KR
18 Jack Broadbent
2 Tom Davies
3 Peta Hiku
12 James Batchelor
5 Joe Burgess
6 Mikey Lewis
7 Tyrone May
8 Sauaso Sue
9 Jez Litten
10 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
11 Dean Hadley
16 Jai Whitbread
13 Elliot Minchella
Subs (all used)
15 Sam Luckley
20 Kelepi Tanginoa
21 Jack Brown
25 Oliver Leyland
18th man (not used)
24 Eribe Doro
Also in 21-man squad
4 Oliver Gildart
19 Danny Richardson
23 Lee Kershaw
Tries: Batchelor (4, 14), Lewis (30), Broadbent (54, 69), Burgess (73)
Goals: Lewis 6/7
DRAGONS
26 Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet
2 Tommy Makinson
23 Matthieu Laguerre
4 Reimis Smith
5 Nick Cotric
6 Luke Keary
21 Théo Fages
8 Tevita Pangai Jr
14 Alrix Da Costa
10 Julian Bousquet
11 Tariq Sims
12 Elliott Whitehead
13 Oliver Partington
Subs (all used)
15 Tevita Satae
16 Romain Navarrete
17 Bayley Sironen
19 Paul Séguier
18th man (not used)
22 Fouad Yaha
Also in 21-man squad
9 Ben Garcia
18 César Rougé
20 Jordan Dezaria
Tries: Smith (19), Keary (24)
Goals: Aispuro-Bichet 2/2
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 10-0, 10-6, 10-12, 16-12; 18-12, 24-12, 30-12, 36-12
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Hull KR: Mikey Lewis; Dragons: Tommy Makinson
Penalty count: 3-1
Half-time: 16-12
Referee: Chris Kendall
Attendance: 8,402