After a tough defeat in a friendly against the north east’s top side Cramlington Rockets last week, Beverley Braves 14s got back to winning ways in the league with a 46-0 victory over Hull Victoria Titans. The Titans put up a stern test and made the win much more difficult for the Braves than the score line might suggest.
On the warmest match day of the year so far, both sides completed their first sets well with Ben Hodder taking the first Titan kick well in what was to be a fine display throughout the match at full back.
After six minutes, Beverley broke the deadlock when fast hands along the line saw Kai Johnson put the pass out to Archie Murdoch, who darted over the line, Johnson’s conversion making it 6-0. This score began a period of Beverley domination which, once the Titans were able to re-establish a foothold back in the game, had seen them stretch the lead to 34-0.
Harry Vorwerg fielded a Titan’s kick in his in goal area, and he took full advantage of a disjointed kick chase to find some space before racing away in the clear field to score at the other end under the sticks, Jack Turner converting. Next it was Murdoch, who wrong footed the defence to race 30 metres to score, Johnson converting this time.
Just minutes later William Wallis found an inch of space on the right to crash in, the conversion coming from Turner. A great kick from Henry Hughes forced a Titan’s drop out which Hodder coolly fielded before feeding the supporting Murdoch, who raced through to score. Johnson converted, and it was now 30-0. Then Hughes with a typical bullocking run slipped the ball back inside to the supporting Wallis to score – Turner’s conversion attempt hit the post and came out but at 34-0 the Braves were well in control.
The second half saw a much-improved performance from the Titans which really tested the Beverley defence. At the fore were Will Swainston, George Bennett-Teare and Lewis Egan all topping the tackle count with the diminutive Egan once again showing that picking on the smallest on the park as the weakest link is not the best of tactics.
After Egan carved out a gap to send Bennett-Teare in with Turner’s conversion making it 40-0, Victoria Titans had a long period of dominance. Tom Cohen was called on to take a high kick which he did with style whilst Ryan Deane put his opposite number into touch after the Titans had made a clean break from their own line.
It took some great goal-line defence to keep the Titans out, Ollie Loney putting in some fine tackles alongside Ollie Gresswell and Ethan Rowbotham, who switched from second row to hooker in the second-half having found several gaps in offence earlier in the game.
After so much pressure from Victoria it was cruel that a good attacking kick should be plucked out of the air behind his own goal line by Murdoch to race 100 metres to touch down under the sticks providing an easy conversion for Johnson to complete the scoring.
