York City Knights 50-0 Huddersfield Giants
York City Knights had to be patient but, in the end, ran riot against a youthful Huddersfield side in the blazing heat to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.
The hosts came into the game top of the table with four straight wins, whilst Ryan White’s side were looking for their first victory of the year after a tough opening month, fielding six 17-year-old players.
Although showing great desperation in defence in large parts, Huddersfield were guilty of making a number of errors in their own half and in the end struggled to contain York’s superior power and pace.
York squandered a few chances with ball in hand, but soon clicked into gear and piled on the points, with Tamzin Renouf grabbing a hat-trick and the outstanding Tara Jane Stanley notching up two tries and five goals, to make it five wins from five.
City Knights boss Lindsay Anfield was delighted after the game, with her squad down to the bare bones through injury.
“It was a pretty good performance towards the end after a rusty first half and there were some really good individual performances,” she said.
“Our rotation went out of the window today, but you’ve got to play with what you’ve got and to be able to give everyone game time is what we’re trying to do.”
Giants coach White was proud of the effort despite the heavy score line.
“We competed and challenged them for large parts, it was just the last 20 minutes which was a little disappointing,” he admitted.
“When you’re playing against a top side, they’re going to keep coming at you for 80 minutes and we’ve got to try and stick with them. Week in week out we’re sticking in games for longer which is a positive for us.”
Lacey Owen scored first for the Knights, jinking her way through the line from close range following a turnover from Huddersfield. Grace Field then left the game with an ankle issue.
The visitors were penalised in possession in their own half and from the resulting possession Sinead Peach darted over from dummy half to put York two scores up.
The Giants simply couldn’t get out of their own half and, after Lambert went close, Stanley finished off a flowing move on the right to put York in control after half an hour.
York hammered home their advantage before half time through Renouf, who took a lovely pass from Stanley to score her first, leaving the Giants with a mountain to climb at the break.
The home side soon extended their lead through Holly Dodd, who split the Giants defence for a fine individual score.
Ash Hyde then joined the scorers, finishing off untouched in the right corner after a commanding set from York, including breaks from Stanley and Peach.
The Giants were out on their feet as York cut loose with four quick tries. Renouf grabbed her second and completed her hat-trick either side of a Jas Bell try before Stanley added her second, and the fullback converted to bring up the 50-point mark in a dominant afternoon for the hosts.
Round-up
Despite an early score from Olivia Cummins, WAKEFIELD TRINITY were unable to stop BARROW RAIDERS going level with Warrington Wolves at the top of Group Two.
The Raiders ran in nine tries as they raced away to a 50-4 win.
After Cummins had opened the scoring within the opening couple of minutes, Barrow were soon back level through Hannah Sherlock and from there on in it was one way traffic for the Cumbrians.
Beth Lindsay, Vanessa Temple, Sam Norman and Sarah Wilkinson all then crossed for tries, with Jodie Litherland converting all four to make it 28-4 at the break.
There was no let us after the restart with Emily Stirzaker crossing twice, and Wilkinson and Norman also completing braces. Litherland added another three goals to bring up the half century.
LEIGH MINERS RANGERS got only their second win over the season, but what an impressive win it was, beating FEATHERSTONE ROVERS 14-10 in sweltering conditions.
Their only previous win came against Wakefield on the opening weekend and their second was certainly worth the wait.
Grace Morley opened the scoring against a Rovers side who were looking to keep the pressure on Warrington Wolves at the top of the table. That effort was converted by Kirsty Millington, who then added a further two points following a Mairead Quinn try to make it 12-0 at the break
Nat Carr an Olivia Howarth touched down for Rovers after the break, but Jessie Matthews was only able to converted one of them to keep the Rovers marginally behind.
Millington added a second half penalty for Rangers to secure the two points.
BRADFORD BULLS are now level on points with the Rovers after seeing off CASTLEFORD TIGERS 16-48 at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.
The Bulls ran in early tries through Ebony Haley and Hannah Donald, the first of which was converted by Emily Heaps, to give the visitors a 10-0 lead in as many minutes.
But the Tigers soon hit back when a bulldozing run from Maisie Lumb, converted by Chloe Smith, pulled them back into the contest.
In what was looking like a tight opening half Donald got her second and Heaps also went in for the Bulls, before Lumb’s second for the Tigers, again converted by Smith, made it a six point ballgame at 12-18.
But further tries from Bailey Alexander and Beth Macmillan, plus another Heaps goal made it 12-28 at the break.
Cara Cookland crossed shortly after the restart to extend Bradford’s lead and despite the Tigers’ best efforts they couldn’t pull themselves back into it.
Haley and MacMillan crossed for Bradford before Lumb completed her hat-trick for the hosts. A feat copied by Haley just moments from full time when she crossed for her third for the Bulls to round off an impressive performance both personally and as a team.
Rugby League Nines Finals
Next Sunday attention turns away from Super League as a number of the leading clubs from the game take part in the Women’s Rugby League Nines Finals at Salford’s AJ Bell Stadium.
Huddersfield Giants, St Helens, Catalans, York City Knights and Leeds Rhinos all qualified for the finals outright following the first round of fixtures at Warrington’s Victoria Park at the start of May, while Warrington Wolves will join Sunday’s line up after being granted a wildcard entry.
The Wolves only missed out on automatic qualification on points difference after beating Bristol Golden Ferns and Barrow Raiders as well as drawing with St Helens in the group stages.
The action gets underway at 10:45am, before the semi-finals commence at 1:45pm followed by the final at 2:50pm.
Fixtures are as follows:
Group A: Huddersfield v St Helens (10.45am)
Group B: Catalans v York (11.10am)
Group A: Leeds v Huddersfield (11.35am)
Group B: Warrington v Huddersfield (midday)
Group A: St Helens v Leeds (12.25pm)
Group B: York v Warrington (12.50pm)
First semi-final: 1.45pm
Second semi-final: 2.10pm
Final: 2.50pm
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