Hull Schools boys Select defeat Australian tourists!
A Hull Schoolboys Select team defeated the touring Mackay State High School from Queensland, Australia in the 1st match of their 2 test series at Hull Dockers ARLFC on Saturday afternoon. The team made up of players from Archbishop Sentamu, Sirius Academy, St Marys College and South Holderness, showed tremendous attitude and resilience to come-back into a match which seemed well beyond them after falling 20-0 down in the early stages of the game. After only four training sessions together, the team have created a great spirit which inspired their superb comeback which saw them become the 1st Hull team to ever beat the tourists in the 7 attempts that teams have had both in England and in Australia. They will now look to repeat their heroics in Monday evenings 2nd test match at Hull KR’s, Craven Park.
The match started at a blistering pace with the Mackay players showing in the early encounters that their skill and speed would cause issues for the Hull boys. Two early tries saw Hull fall 10-0 behind, with the intensity around the play the ball, coupled with the Hull sides inability to keep hold of the ball in the early stages resulting in prolonged pressure for the tourists. Credit to the Hull boys who began to match the Mackay team in the middle of the pitch with Kai Thorpe, Dylan Hayward and Charlie Patterson making some strong tackles and Callum Bradshaw making good yards from dummy-half. Josh Jarvis and the Man of the Match, Lewis Todd were causing problems for the tourists with their direct running wide-out, well supported by the excellent Joe Rustill at full-back who stopped two certain tries for the tourists with crucial tackles. Two further tries for the Mackay team saw them lead 20-0 after twenty minutes played. The Hull boys needed a lift, which came in the form of the substitutes with Josh Pearson, George Tyson-Wilson, Ben Bradshaw, Curt Williamson and Josh Oliver all coming on to have big impacts on the game. With the big Hull forwards of Tyler Harvey, Luke Livingston and Brad Elliott beginning to make inroads into the tourists, the match began to swing in the Hull boys favour. Quick hands from captain Harry Whittles created space for Rustill to off-load superbly from the tackle for Josh Atkinson to finish in the corner, with Rustill gaoling from the touch-line. From the next set, Ben Bradshaw broke clean through the middle and earnt a penalty which resulted in Williamson creating a gap for Rustill to race over with his conversion leaving the score at 20-12 to the tourists at half-time.
With clear messages of patience and possession from the half-time talk, the Hull boys started the 2nd half well with Whittles kicking well into corners, and Patterson controlling the game from dummy-half. Pearson produced a strong tackle which was unlucky not to be converted into a try by the hard-working Oliver Woods. The tourists raced away for a breakaway try to push the score out to 24-12 however the Hull side hit back immediately with Williamson sending Josh Oliver through after a great line-run to cross with a Rustill goal pulling the score back to 24-18. The tourists again hit back to pull further away at 30-18 with twenty minutes remaining. A smart kick off saw Oliver regain possession from which Patterson created room for Thorpe to spin his way over from close–range with Rustill again goaling for 30-24. The Hull boys sensed the game was swinging in their favour with wingers Elliott Wallis and Jack Todd making good yards with strong carries to take the team forward. With time running out, Whittles send up a towering bomb which caused havoc in the tourists defence allowing Oliver to collect and crash over for his 2nd try and with a Rustill goal the match was levelled up at 30-30. With a grandstand finish set-up, the Hull boys worked forward and after a penalty was awarded they were in great field position. With set-plays called, it looked like the ball would be sent wide, however smart-thinking from the lively Reece Smith saw him dummy his way over from dummy-half to score with Rustills conversion taking the Hull boys to a 36-30 win and send the team into wild celebrations!
On behalf of the coaching staff and management, we would like to thank all the boys involved for their excellent attitudes and behaviour up to this point, all have been a credit to their schools and families. All support for Mondays match would be appreciated with the kick-off due for 6:15pm.
Squad:
Joe Rustill (St Marys), Oliver Woods (South Holderness), Lewis Todd (Archbishop Sentamu), Josh Jarvis (Sirius Academy), Josh Atkinson (Sirius Academy), Reece Smith (Archbishop Sentamu), Harry Whittles (Sirius Academy ) ©, Kai Thorpe (Sirius Academy), Callum Bradshaw (St Marys), Dylan Hayward (Archbishop Sentamu), Luke Livingston (South Holderness), Brad Elliott (Sirius Academy), Charlie Patterson (St Marys), Josh Pearson (Archbishop Sentamu), Ben Bradshaw (St Marys), Tyler Harvey (St Marys), Josh Oliver (Archbishop Sentamu), George Tyson-Wilson (Sirius Academy), Elliott Wallis (South Holderness), Jack Todd (Archbisop Sentamu), Curt Williamson (St Marys), Kieran Sewell (Sirius Academy), Jordan Richmond (Sirius Academy), Tom Coles (Archbishop Sentamu), Jack Brown (St Marys), Callum Tramner (South Holderness), Adam Rooks (South Holderness), Brad Fox (St Marys).
