HURRICANES MAKE THEIR DEBUT

Hurricanes make their debut against classy opposition

York City Knights 46 Midlands Hurricanes 6

Article Mike Hyde

Photography Simon Hall

This was a pre-season friendly and warm-up game, but nevertheless was a historic occasion as the Midlands Hurricanes took to the field for the first time, resplendant in their new purple colours.

Obvious cliches include ‘blowing away the cobwebs after the Christmas break’, but the overwhelming feeling was one of optimism for both clubs.

York have had tough times, but are now a respected Championship side in a new purpose built stadium with healthy and growing crowds.

Meanwhile the erstwhile Coventry Bears have taken on a regional mantle as they look to further expand the game across the West Midlands.

On a cold night, but with a good crowd at the LNER Community Stadium, the home side stamped their authority on the game in the first half, running in five tries to give an unsurmountable 28-0 lead at half time.

The Hurricanes came out stronger in the second half, and were pressing hard to get onto the scoresheet, with improved handling and passing of the ball.

They were rewarded in the 60th minute as Boardman crossed over for the first ever Hurricanes try. Hardcastle added the two extra points.

But the night belonged to the Knights as they increased their score to 46 points.

More importantly the future belongs to both clubs, York looking to climb the Championship from their new base and the Hurricanes looking to follow them from their new location.

Head coach Rich Squires answered some questions post match:

What were your expectations around the match and did the squad live up to this?

We didn’t really set ourselves any expectations for Friday night other than a chance for each individual player and a squad as a whole to express themselves for the first time this season. We have had very limited contact time together as a group so it was always going to be a big challenge but I was very happy with what the players delivered. There were some rusty parts which have been identified by the group themselves which we will look at but some very big positives and standouts across the group.

What were your main positives from the match?

I think the resilience that the group showed on Friday was a standout and is massive moving forward. We were up against a very well coached championship side and for parts of the game we competed set for set. We want to play a expansive brand of Rugby and we showed that on Friday with us throwing the ball around from anywhere on the field. In the short amount of time spent together we really set our stall out and there is some exciting parts to look forward too. We are way ahead as a group of where we expected to be so need to use this as a trigger to kick on.

What were the main points from the match for the squad to improve on?

Our first contact and ruck defence was very sloppy which allowed York to really dominate the ruck and get too many easy 1v1 tackles. They were much bigger than us and witn the super league experience they had within the group we allowed them too much time to find there front and both hookers caused us some real issues. Another area we struggled was getting to the certain points on the field to allow us to attack, too many times we got stuck on a short side or forced a play from an area on the field we shouldn’t. A huge part of this is due to being a new group together and having limited time together which will be addressed in the weeks leading upto Rochdale.

Who were your main performers from the match you wish to highlight?

Tyler Walton performed brilliantly in the middle and did a lot longer than expected. His ability to really dig into the line and attract defenders frees up a lot of room for our halves and makes there job a lot easier. He was tough defensively also and dominated things in the middle of the park. He knows he still has a lot more he can offer but as a starting point it was a promising performance.

AJ Boardman was another who stood out. He’s very flexible in where he can play but offers the same aggressive carries, strong defence and the ability to go above and beyond for his team mates. He’s been overlooked for a number of years but il be giving him the opportunity to blossom this year and he will be key member of the squad.

Elsewhere Benn Hardcastle showed glimpses of what he can offer after two years out from the game. Elliot Windley continued where he left off last year and was very good around the ruck. I think we need to give a mention to James Phillips also who played his first ever adult game of rugby. Never took a backwards step and has really come on leaps and bounds in the short space of time he’s been with us.

What do you hope to improve on before we play Rochdale in the Challenge Cup?

We will look at the areas from Friday night around the ruck and being able to dominate the middle of the park to play the game at the speed we want to play. Rochdale has a big experienced pack so we need to be able to compete physically to give ourselves a chance. The more time the players spend together the closer they will become as a group as timings, communication etc will all come naturally. Game fitness we will continue to work on but again that is something that will come naturally over time. We are in a good spot heading into Rochdale.

Watch the Hurricanes at Birmingham & Solihull Bees from March!

The new temporary playing base is just off the M42 [A435], half an hour’s drive from the Butts Park Arena in Coventry and easily accessible from across the West Midlands conurbation.

The club is also in talks to move to the newly built Alexander stadium in central Birmingham from 2023 after its use for the Commonwealth Games this summer.

Hurricanes Fixtures can be found HERE