MATCH REPORT: MIDLANDS HURRICANES 46 - 12 DEWSBURY RAMS - BETFRED LEAGUE ONE ROUND FIVE

Matty Chrimes celebrates with Mikey Wood (Credit: Andy Shaw)

Rams penned in by clinical Canes at The Alex

Head Coach Mark Dunning’s men welcomed Dewsbury Rams to The Alexander Stadium on Sunday, with the Canes presented another opportunity to beat a team they had previously failed to secure a victory against. Midlands went into this fixture top of the league with three wins and a draw from their opening four games, with Dewsbury Rams in fourth place following three wins and a sole loss to North Wales Crusaders in the opening round. This game presented a number of players with a chance to say they had a foot in both camps, with Dewsbury’s Jacob Hookem and Dan Coates both having spells with the Canes and Midlands’ Zeus Silk and Elliott Morris having departed Dewsbury at the end of last season.

The Canes flew out of the gate and started the game strongly, with the Midlands earning a penalty in their first set and immediately taking advantage of the ground gained as some quick hands from Aiden Roden to Sully Medforth eventually found Todd Horner, who slipped through a gap and came within a metre of the Dewsbury line before offloading to Matty Chrimes who dotted down in the left corner (4-0). Jake Sweeting had a tough conversion attempt from out wide and his kick sailed wide of the near post.

After an initial electric five minutes, the next fifteen or so were all Dewsbury has some Canes ill-discipline led to multiple penalties and sets on the Midlands line. Despite all the pressure imposed by a sizeable and aggressive Rams, Midlands were generally able to keep the visitors at bay until Jack Briggs took a short pass five metres out and allowed his large frame and momentum to effectively carry him over the line before dropping underneath the sticks to the joy of the travelling support (4-4). Ex-Canes loanee Jacob Hookem was on hand to add the extras from in front of the posts and the Rams took the lead as the teams entered the second quarter (4-6).

After ten minutes of back-and-forth action, the Canes retook the lead with a second try largely created by the architects of the first. A swift pass from Danny Barcoe found Sully Medforth, who threw a diagonal cut-out pass to a charging Todd Horner who launched a flat cut-out pass of his own to Matty Chrimes, with the plucky winger rounding his counterpart and running inwards to score his second of the afternoon (8-6). Jake Sweeting was unable to add the two points from out wide once again and the Canes remained just the two points ahead.

Four minutes later, the Canes extended their lead as Sully Medforth and Matty Chrimes linked up to bamboozle the Rams defence. A pass from Barcoe to Medforth resulted in a cut-out pass to Chrimes, who once again rounded his opposite number before passing back in to Medforth who placed the ball down behind the sticks for our third try in what was a flashy piece of play (12-6). Jake Sweeting got his well-deserved conversion shortly thereafter, and the Canes entered the final minutes of the first half with a two-score lead (14-6).

Danny Barcoe and Sully Medforth celebrate Sully’s try (Credit: Andy Shaw)

With less than sixty seconds on the clock, the Hurricanes made the most of some tiring Dewsbury forwards to score their fourth try of the first half. Despite only being 25 metres from his own line, Danny Barcoe spotted a gaping hole in the Rams line and scooted from dummy-half untouched before passing to Ross Oakes on half-way, with the barraging centre racing fifty metres and shrugging off some determined Dewsbury defence to put the ball down just right of the posts (18-6). Four points was converted into six by Jake Sweeting once again, and the teams exited the field following the half-time hooter (20-6).

The Canes were cheered off the pitch by a jubilant home crowd as they entered the changing rooms with a three-score lead, although Head Coach Mark Dunning would no doubt have acknowledged the score-line did not represent the very physical contest his Midlands team had persevered through at The Alex.

Half-time: Midlands Hurricanes 20 - 6 Dewsbury Rams

The second half started as well for the Canes as the first, with the hosts having their first opportunity to put points on the board three minutes in after Mikey Wood was hit late after a pass. Jake Sweeting called for the kicking tee 30 metres out in front of the posts, and Sweets had no issues extending the Midlands lead to 16 points (22-6). Things went from strength to strength for the Canes as the hosts scored their fourth try just three minutes later, with a neat offload from Ellis Hobson allowing Tom Wilkinson the momentum to bust a two-man tackle and will himself over the Dewsbury line before reaching out to score (26-6). Jake Sweeting’s good kicking form continued, and the Canes found themselves four scores ahead early into the second half.

Tom Wilkinson lines up Dan Coates (Credit: Andy Shaw)

Just under ten minutes later another Dewsbury penalty - this time for a high shot on Kieran Moran - presented the Canes with the opportunity to kick themselves into a five-score lead. Jake Sweeting once again called for the kicking tee and slotted the ball between the sticks, and with a little over 25 minutes to go Midlands had put themselves in a commanding position (30-6).

Much like the first-half, the second half went through a lull period for fifteen minutes as neither team could break the other down after the Canes’ initial burst. However, as the teams entered the last minutes the Canes took advantage of a despondent Dewsbury side who had seemed to recognise the game had gotten away from them some time ago. Starting hooker Aiden Roden - also known for a quick scoot from dummy-half - spotted a gap in the Rams line to break through and feed Sully Medforth 35 metres out. Sully was almost caught by the Dewsbury defence, but a smart fend by Medforth provided him with the momentum to wriggle free and slide over for his second of the afternoon (34-6). Jake Sweeting’s conversion attempt from left of the sticks drifted wide to the right.

Sully stretches out to score his second (Credit: Andy Shaw)

Dewsbury’s misery was compounded with six minutes to go as from the set restart Mikey Wood found himself the unfortunate recipient of a three-man tip tackle, and referee Tara Jones deemed Rams prop Harvey Roberts to be the guilty party as she sin-binned the forward and consigned the visitors to play the final stages of the game with 12 men.

The Canes - spotting an opportunity to play freely - immediately took advantage of the extra man from the resulting penalty. Some slick hands from Aiden Roden to Zeus Silk saw Zeus feed Roden once again, with the nimble hooker passing flat to a charging Aaron Willis who ran 15 metres and ran over Rams full-back Craig McShane to score a rare try near the left edge (38-6). Jake Sweeting’s successful conversion attempt took the Canes to 40, and any hopes of a Rams comeback were well and truly over (40-6).

From the set restart the Canes scored again, this time with Aiden Roden busting the tackle before quickly feeding Todd Horner 40 metres out, with the young fan-favourite leaving Craig McShane chasing his shadow as he cantered over the half-way line and raced away to score the Canes eighth try of the afternoon with three minutes to go (44-6). Jake Sweeting was once again on hand to add the extras (46-6).

Zeus Silk and Kieran Moran race over to celebrate Aaron Willis’ try (Credit: Andy Shaw)

Despite the game being well and truly decided there was still time for the Rams to score a consolation, with the Canes perhaps being guilty of falling complacent with the game wrapped up. In the pursuit of 50 points a speculative pass from Ellis Hobson to Matty Hanley was intercepted by Keenan Tomlinson, and despite the chasing defence nobody could stop the Rams player from dotting down and giving the travelling support something to take home (46-10). Jacob Hookem was once again on hand to add the extras from the kicking tee (46-12).

As the full-time hooter went the Canes conceded a late penalty that provided the Rams a chance to score a third try, however a hopeful chip from Dan Coates was gathered by Matty Hanley who ran the ball in and took the tackle to draw a close on proceedings. The Canes finished Round Five top of the Betfred League One table once again, with a mouth-watering North Wales Crusaders tie on Easter Saturday guaranteeing that - after the dust settles on round six - there will only be one unbeaten team left in the league.

Full-time: Midlands Hurricanes 46 - 12 Dewsbury Rams

Man of the Match:
Danny Barcoe (sponsored by St Catherine’s Carpets)

Tries:
Matty Chrimes (2), Sully Medforth (2), Ross Oakes, Tom Wilkinson, Aaron Willis and Todd Horner

Conversions:
Jake Sweeting (5/8)

Penalties:
Jake Sweeting (2/2)

Scoring sequence:
4-0, 4-4, 4-6, 8-6, 12-6, 14-6, 18-6, 20-6, 22-6, 26-6, 28-6, 30-6, 34-6, 38-6, 40-6, 44-6, 46-6, 46-10 and 46-12