Leeds Trinity and All Saints College 40 - 4 Northumbria University 2nds

Adam Houston reports from LTU Sport Centre

Northumbria University 2nds made the journey to Leeds to kick off this year’s BUCS competition to face a strong TASC side intent on pushing them all the way for the league title this year. With TASC already having played 3 games together and this being Northumbria’s first, it was always going to be a difficult task and it certainly proved to be so right from the kick off. Leeds Trinity were fired up & physical and Northumbria did all they could to hold them out but this didn’t last long. Home skipper Dom Hitchen crossed for the first of his 4 tries on the day, powering over from close range after poor discipline gifted them 3 sets deep in Northumbria territory.

Indiscipline and too many errors was the story of the half for Northumbria on TASC capitalised on these gifts, Centre Tom Bates, Prop Stephen Knowles and Hitchen bagging a brace with less than 30 minutes on the clock. A sustained period of Northumbria dominance saw Jaskaran Deu having a score ruled out. A high kick on the last by impressive Half Back Joe Jackson caused all sorts of problems for the home defence and Deu grounded the ball just as full back Lewis Cowell did for the hosts after appearing to be pulled back. The ref ruled this out and awarded a goal line drop out, much to the protestations of the Northumbria side.

The second period started much the same as the first had ended, Northumbria’s defence proving up to the task of holding out a spirited Trinity side before an incident 6 minutes in saw both sides reduced to 12 men. A swinging arm high tackle on Alex Lee saw the visiting back rower take exception and it wasn’t long before both sides were involved in a mass scuffle. Ref Jamie Bloem took control quickly and dismissed both offenders for a 10 minute cool off.

Buoyed by this Trinity again stepped it up a gear and posted 3 further tries in quick succession, Hitchen bagging his 4^th, Stand off James Jackson powering over, along with Stephen Cranny and  Dale McGuinness, with McCoy finding his aim with 2 from 3 with the boot. Northumbria had the final say however when Joe Jackson went on a solo run from deep in his own half, flat footing would be defenders before outpacing the full back’s despairing dive to cross in the corner, leaving Pete Taylor with the difficult extras from out wide which he failed to tag on.

LEEDS TRINITY:

1. Lewis Cowell,
2. Alex Jones,
3. Chris Holroyd,
4. Tom Bates,
5. John Vader Hall,
6. James Jackson,
7. Jon McCoy,
8. Luke Handley,
9. Liam Hamell,
10. Stephen Knowles,
11. Dom Hitchen,
12. Stephen Cranny,
13. Junior Brandford

SUBS (all used):

NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY:

1. Adam Jones,
2. Matty Blades,
3. John Burns,
4. Hamish Wilson,
5. Lewis Marston,
6. Steve Wood,
7. Joe Jackson,
8. Pete Taylor,
9. Louie Moore,
10. Gareth Davies,
11. Neil Eyes,
12. Alex Lee,
13. Luke Banham

SUBS (all used):

Scorers:

Northumbria: T: Jackson (62)

G: Taylor (0/1)

Man of the Match:

TASC: Dom Hitchen Northumbria: Adam Jones

Half Time: 24-0

Ref: Jamie Bloem