YORK KNIGHTS 42 LONDON BRONCOS 16
GAVIN WILSON, LNER Community Stadium, Sunday
CHAMPIONSHIP leaders York set a new club record of 16 consecutive victories after securing a comfortable win over a battling London.
The Knights last tasted defeat back in April – 24-22 at Featherstone on Good Friday – and have since embarked on a remarkable run that has seen them rise to the top of the table and lift the 1895 Cup at Wembley.
It beats the 15-match winning run which saw them close out the League One season and secure that title in 2018.
Coach Mark Applegarth made two changes from the team that beat Hunslet a week earlier. Captain Liam Harris and forward Bailey Antrobus made welcome returns – the latter from consecutive ACL injuries – with Will Dagger and Conor Fitzsimmons dropping out.
London coach Mike Eccles made three changes from the team that narrowly lost to Toulouse last week, with Alex Walker and Lewis Bienek having picked up injuries and Liam Tindall out following HIA protocols. New signing Kobe Rugless went straight into the team, facing the Knights for the second consecutive week, Marcus Qareqare joined on loan from Leeds Rhinos, and Chris Hellec returned at fullback.
York started brightly and were on the board after just three minutes, prolific winger Ben Jones-Bishop stepped over for his 25th try of a stellar season, and the 1,000th point of his career, after the ball was kept alive on the last tackle in their first set.
London felt their way into the game and briefly took the lead after a quarter of an hour when Ethan Natoli got onto the end of a well-placed grubber kick from Connor O’Beirne. Jack Smith added the goal.
This stirred a reaction from the hosts in the form of a blistering ten-minute hat-trick from Scott Galeano. All three tries followed a similar formula – York created space off quick ruck speed, allowing Oli Field to set up his wing partner for the first two, and the third came via a looping pass from Ata Hingano, all expertly finished in the left corner.
With Liam Harris only converting one of York’s first-half tries, the industrious Broncos went into the sheds still hanging on in the contest at 18-6. Those hopes were soon extinguished soon into the second half with two converted tries in three minutes – first Harris darted over to score from close range, before setting up Connor Bailey in the next set.
London continued to work hard in the Yorkshire sunshine and were rewarded for their efforts when Hellec was sent through a gap with a nicely timed pass from O’Beirne close to the line. Jack Smith successfully converted.
York responded with a converted try from Brenden Santi, who charged over from close range.
The Knights looked to press on in the closing stages, allowing Broncos winger Charlie Robson to pick off a speculative Taylor Pemberton pass and race home 80 metres to score, Smith hitting the post with the conversion attempt.
The last word went to York. Paul McShane caused chaos with a probing grubber kick and prop Jack Martin was on hand to ground the loose ball for a converted try, much to the delight of the noisy Knights fans in the sun.
The Knights will have one hand on the Championship League Leaders’ trophy if they beat Toulouse in the south of France on Friday night.
GAMESTAR: Scott Galeano takes the plaudits for a ten-minute first half hat-trick, with all three tries taking some finishing.
GAMEBREAKER: Two York tries in three minutes early in the second half effectively ended the contest.
MATCHFACTS
KNIGHTS
36 Toa Mata’afa
34 Ben Jones-Bishop
3 Kieran Buchanan
20 Oli Field
35 Scott Galeano
6 Ata Hingano
7 Liam Harris
8 Jack Martin
9 Paul McShane
25 Bailey Antrobus
11 Jesse Dee
12 Connor Bailey
13 Jordan Thompson
Subs (all used)
10 Brenden Santi
14 Taylor Pemberton
24 Harvey Reynolds
33 Mitch Clark
Tries: Jones-Bishop (3), Galeano (18, 23, 28), Harris (50), Bailey (53), Santi (65), Martin (74)
Goals: Harris 5/8
BRONCOS
2 Chris Hellec
26 Charlie Robson
3 Ethan Natoli
33 Jack Smith
31 Marcus Qareqare
28 Jenson Binks
7 Connor O’Beirne
14 Kobe Rugless
9 Curtis Davies
15 Dan Okoro
11 Will Lovell
12 Sadiq Adebiyi
13 Marcus Stock
Subs (all used)
8 Huw Worthington
18 Ben Hursey-Hord
22 Matt Ross
34 Tommy Porter
Tries: Natoli (15), Hellec (62), Robson (72)
Goals: Smith 2/3
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 4-6, 10-6, 14-6, 18-6; 24-6, 30-6, 30-12, 36-12, 36-16, 42-16
Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Knights: Scott Galeano; Broncos: Dan Okoro
Penalty count: 4-3
Half-time: 18-6
Referee: Kevin Moore