MATCH REPORT: NEWCASTLE THUNDER 6 - 54 MIDLANDS HURRICANES (BETFRED LEAGUE ONE ROUND FOUR)
The two teams shake hands after full-time
Canes score ten tries as they blow away Thunder
It may have been the Purple Rain Derby (as coined by our hosts) and a feisty battle between two teams named after the elements, but it was the Canes quality that shone through on a sunny and blustery Sunday afternoon in the northeast of England.
Head Coach Mark Dunning's team went into this fixture with 5 points from a possible 6 after two away wins and a home draw, however the table-topping Canes were temporarily dethroned as Whitehaven's 78-6 mauling of Cornwall at The Memorial Ground placed them in first place pending the outcome of this match. Newcastle by contrast sat 10th having lost both of their preceding fixtures (6-48 to Swinton, 32-22 to Cornwall).
Despite the team's varying form, it was the hosts who came out of the blocks fired up and ready to cause an upset. Some initial poor handling and determined sets saw Newcastle in a position to force the Canes to concede two goal-line drop-outs in the opening five minutes. That said, Thunder's efforts on the Canes try-line were well contained by some stubborn defending.
The Canes got themselves into the game as we ticked over the ten minute mark, and it seemed only a matter of time before we opened our account when Mikey Wood collected a short pass a metre or so out and bundled his way over to score a collector's item (0-4). Jake Sweeting quickly looked to put an uncharacteristically poor kicking record at Keighley behind him and duly added the extras from left of the sticks (0-6).
This did not deter the hosts, and Midlands were regrettably the authors of their own misfortune as a failure to deal with the kick restart saw the ball bounce backwards out of Todd Horner's hands only to be knocked on by Captain Jon-Luke Kirby when attempting to regather. With an early opportunity to score Newcastle took full advantage, and a behind pass to Harry Lowery presented the stocky prop with the time he needed to build up steam and crash over just left of the posts (4-6). Newcastle Thunder stalwart Alex Donaghy was on hand to convert, and the sides were back level (6-6).
The Canes responded by turning things up a gear, and some impressive passing out wide put Luis Roberts in space and got us within metres of the Thunder line. Unfortunately for the visitors the play came to nothing as the final pass from Ryan Johnson drifted behind Matty Chrimes and went into touch. Things would improve shortly thereafter for Midlands however, as Matty Chrimes would gather a kick on the last and attract a number of Thunder defenders before passing left to Ryan Johnson who raced 60+ metres to score down the wing (6-10). Jake Sweeting had no issues adding the extras from out wide (6-12).
The final 15 minutes saw the Canes fail to capitalise on two big opportunities to score, with another Ryan Johnson break leading to the ball squirming out in contact and a subsequent set on Thunder's line seeing a bullet pass from Jake Sweeting to Luis Roberts spilled over the line. Notwithstanding those missed efforts, the Canes eventually broke Newcastle down as Ryan Johnson passed out wide to Matty Chrimes who strolled over for our third (6-16).
There was another opportunity for the Canes to extend their lead just a couple of minutes from half-time as Ryan Johnson and Matty Chrimes once again linked up on the left edge, however the former Sheffield pairing had a case of deja vu as the ball sailed behind Chrimes and rolled into touch shortly before the half-time hooter.
Half-time: Newcastle Thunder 6-16 Midlands Hurricanes
Blaydon Rugby Club: the home of Newcastle Thunder
After what Chrimes and Jordan-Roberts described as some "firm reminders" from Mark, the Canes came flying out early doors in the second half and showed Newcastle the respect their first-half performance deserved. Having got ourselves in a good attacking position, a short pass from Sweeting to Tom Wilkinson saw the young second-rower crash over from close range (6-20). Sweeting was on hand to get points of his own following the assist with an easy enough conversion (6-22).
Just before the 50-minute mark, the Canes struck again as another strong attacking set out Sweeting in position to kick a deft grubber that bounced along the artificial turf and neatly into the path of Ross Oakes who gratefully dived onto the ball (6-26). Once again Sweeting add the extras following another assist (6-28). The Canes almost went back to back as Luis Roberts broke the line and charged up the field, but a rightward pass to Sully Medforth could not be gathered and the visitors bombed what appeared to be a dead cert.
That disappointment aside, it only took Midlands five more minutes to score their sixth as Sully Medforth fed Johnson with a short flat pass from three metres out, leaving the former Sheffield man with the job of dragging two Newcastle defenders over with him as he crashed over (6-32). Jake Sweeting had no trouble adding his fifth conversion of the afternoon from out wide (6-34).
The next five minutes probably saw Newcastle's best spell of the second half, as a failure by the Canes to deal with another kick restart and an impressive long-distance drill kick that resulted in a 40/20 presented Thunder with a rare opportunity to score a second try. Despite this momentum, it was the Canes who would actually put points on the board as Jake Sweeting collected a Danny Barcoe pass and fed a short ball to Tom Wilkinson who glided through a gap in the Thunder line to score under the sticks (6-38). Once again, Jake Sweeting turned his assist into further points with the conversion (6-40).
From the resulting kick restart by Newcastle came the Canes best piece of play, with Danny Barcoe spotting a gap to break the line from dummy-half before passing inwards to Medforth who continued the run before - having spotted two incoming Thunder defenders - making an audacious flick pass to Matty Chrimes who finished the attack left of the sticks (6-44). An eighth Canes try was made better by a seventh Sweeting conversion (6-46), and the Canes were well and truly in charge as we entered the final ten minutes.
The final ten minutes followed the preceding 30, starting off with Danny Barcoe coming within inches of scoring from dummy-half on the last tackle of the resulting kick restart. Thunder did not get to hold onto the ball for long however, as some determined pressure saw us bundle Newcastle back over their try-line for a goal-line drop-out. From the set that followed Johnson got his hat-trick as another short pass gave him the opportunity to barge through and roll over to plonk the ball down (6-50). Sweeting was unable to add the extras on this occasion, with the conversion attempt just drifting wide of the near post.
Fans would have been fair to assume this might be the last try of the afternoon, but more drama was to follow. With a few minutes to go Medforth displayed some impressive steps to weave and duck his way over to score, however the referee pulled his efforts back for an obstruction. He would not be denied that all-important try, however, as a wayward bullet pass from Newcastle saw the ball spilled and collected by Sully, who ran 50 metres down the left edge to score seconds before the final hooter (6-54). Sweeting could not add the extras from out wide, but few fans cared following a thumping win on the road.
With a third win in four and a healthy +48 addition to our points difference, the Canes remain top of the Betfred League One table and only one of two unbeaten teams (with North Wales Crusaders). They face a stern test in their next fixture, however, as they host Dewsbury Rams at The Alex who emerged 26-12 victors over Keighley Cougars.
Full-time: Newcastle Thunder 6-54 Midlands Hurricanes
Man of the Match:
Marcus Green (Available to sponsor)
Tries:
Wood, Johnson (3), Chrimes (2), Wilkinson (2), Oakes and Medforth
Conversions:
Sweeting (7/10)
Scoring sequence:
0-4, 0-6, 4-6, 6-6, 6-10, 6-12, 6-16, 6-20, 6-22, 6-26, 6-28, 6-32, 6-34, 6-38, 6-40, 6-44, 6-46, 6-50 and 6-54