MATCH REPORT: HURRICANES 16 SWINTON 54
Anthony Boardman stretches to score for the Hurricanes. Pic: Craig Cathcart.
MIDLANDS HURRICANES 16 SWINTON LIONS 54
By Dave Musson, Portway, Sunday 3 April 2022
HURRICANES head coach Rich Squires saw plenty of positives in his side’s first match at their new home, but was ultimately left cursing a slow start against a ‘clinical’ Swinton Lions side.
Sunday marked the start of a new era for rugby league in the Midlands, with the first Betfred League 1 game at Portway, and there was a real buzz in the chilly air. Street food stalls, a healthy crowd and a Masters RL showcase pre-game only added to the party atmosphere, and suggested Hurricanes fans can expect a vibrant summer.
But Swinton dodged the potential banana skin – and burst the Hurricanes’ bubble in the process – with a clinical, nine-try performance.
The Hurricanes put in a credible shift and saw Ben Stead, Anthony Boardman, and Benn Hardcastle cross the line, but they were always kept at arm’s length by their unflinching visitors.
The rampant Lions were happy to be party poopers and headed back north with the win thanks to tries from Deane Meadows, Louis Brogan, Daniel Abram, Jack Spencer, Lewis Charnock, Jordan Case, Michael Butt, plus a brace from Jayden Hatton.
Benn Hardcastle and Hayden Freeman on the attack. Pic: Craig Cathcart.
Head coach Squires said afterwards: “We got punished today against a very clinical Swinton side who did all the right things in the right areas. You can’t afford to start slow against them. It was a completely different start to what we had last week - we didn’t match their intensity and they punished us.
“When we played at our tempo, completed our sets, and made them come off their own line we punished them. We were quite clinical in those areas but we just didn’t play down in their half long enough.”
He was also excited about the potential of the Hurricanes’ new home, acknowledging his side have had to tweak their style to match the Portway pitch, but only saw improvement going forwards.
He added: “The more we play here the more rewards we’ll get from it.”
After an even opening few minutes, the Lions scored the first rugby league try at Portway in the sixth minute, when Meadows crashed through from close range after sustained pressure on the Hurricanes line.
Four minutes later, they were in again from close range through Brogan after nimble feet and soft hands from Luke Waterworth.
Abram crossed minutes later, finding a gap in the Hurricanes defence to maximise the punishment for the hosts going offside twenty metres from their own line, and give his side a stranglehold they never let go of.
At this point, the hosts needed something to settle their nerves and got it midway through the half thanks to Stead, who dinked through the Lions defence to stroll under and mark his return to the Midlands with the first Hurricanes try at their new home.
Ben Stead scores the first Hurricanes try at Portway. Pic: Craig Cathcart.
But the Hurricanes found themselves under pressure almost immediately when Tyler Walton was sinbinned, and the Lions exploited the numerical advantage soon after through Spencer.
Credit to the Hurricanes though, who hit back right away. After forcing a 20-metre scrum from the kick-off, they patiently worked it left to Boardman who powered over ten minutes before the break.
The Lions gave themselves a healthy buffer right on half time, when Hatton went over in the corner for his first try for the club.
The opening of the second half was less a thing of beauty and more a war of attrition, with both teams testing each other through their middles. It was a well-matched, physical contest with neither side able to gain meaningful territory but enjoying the arm wrestle from set to set.
It was the Hurricanes who bagged the first score of the period, when the Lions defence made a hash of a Hardcastle kick and the very same player gleefully followed up and gathered the bobbling ball to score.
The Lions’ hold on the game never looked in doubt though, and they extended their buffer again shortly before the hour with Charnock crashing onto a lovely Brogan pass to score under the sticks.
Hurricanes on the charge. Pic: Craig Cathcart.
With a quarter of an hour to play, Swinton passed 40 points when Matthew Wilkinson fed Case from close range, while Butt’s sprint from the halfway line five minutes rubbed salt into Hurricanes wounds.
The hosts then shot themselves in the foot with five minutes to play, messing up a drop out that resulted in Hatton strolling in for his second to push his side’s tally past the half century and put the final gloss on an impressive afternoon for one of the promotion favourites.
For the Hurricanes, again patches of promise and some well-taken tries too. Having had their house-warming party crashed on this occasion, they now travel south to be the first side to visit Cornwall RLFC, on Sunday 10 April.
The Cornwall game kicks off at 1pm and is being streamed live on the RFL’s OurLeague platform.
Playing at our new home for the first time. Pic: Craig Cathcart.
STATS
HURRICANES
Ben Stead, Hayden Freeman, Matty Welham, Liam Welham, Phil Cowburn, Dave Scott, Benn Hardcastle, Brad Clavering, Elliott Windley, Nathan Newbound, Sam Bowring, Anthony Boardman, Tyler Walton.
Subs (all used): Jordan Bull, Jack Dawson, Peter Ryan, Sean Croston.
Tries: Stead (19), Boardman (31), Hardcastle (50)
Goals: Hardcastle 2/3
Sinbin: Walton (23) – swinging arm in the tackle
LIONS
Daniel Abram, Michael Butt, Max Roberts, Jayden Hatton, Richard Lepori, Nicholas Gregson, Jack Hansen, Deane Meadows, Luke Waterworth, Louis Brogan, Rhodri Lloyd, Mitchell Cox, Jordan Case.
Subs (all used): Matthew Wilkinson, Jack Spencer, Jose Kenga, Lewis Charnock.
Tries: Meadows (6), Brogan (10), Abram (14), Spencer (29), Hatton (40, 75), Charnock (56), Case (65), Butt (71)
Goals: Abram 9/9
Hurricanes Man of the Match: Elliott Windley
Penalty count: 4-8
Half-time: 10-30
Referee: Liam Rush
Attendance: 478
SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-12, 0-18, 6-18, 6-24, 10-24, 10-30, 16-30, 16-36, 16-42, 16-48, 16-54