National League 2 North review
DEC
Stourbridge are on course to score 100 tries in record time after taking their tally to 87 with an eight-try romp against Westoe. The runaway SSE National Two North League leaders made it 15 bonus-point wins from 15 on Saturday as they made short work of the Shieldsmen to win 52-5.
Hull Ionians are 18 points adrift in second place but have a game in hand after their match at third-placed Darlington Mowden Park was postponed because the pitch at Yiewsley Drive was deemed unplayable.
Preston Grasshoppers missed out on the chance to move above DMP after going down to a 10-9 defeat on a quagmire of a pitch at Leicester Lions. The Lions went over for the game’s only try when jet-heeled Gareth Collins crossed ‘Hoppers’ line with half-time approaching. Preston’s misery was compounded by the red card shown to hooker Phillip Mills in the 53rd minute.
Otley, though, managed to still play with ball in hand despite the difficult conditions at Cross Green and were rewarded with a 51-15 win over Birmingham & Solihull. Four tries inside the final quarter meant the Yorkshire side were slightly flattered by the scoreline. Scrum-half Stephen Depledge and winger James Twomey both got two tries apiece.
Sheffield Tigers outscored hosts Hull five tries to four but still came off second best in a thrilling contest. Fly-half Greg Lound’s 20-point haul from the kicking tee helped Hull to a 40-31 victory.
Strugglers Huddersfield arguably pulled off the result of the day after a 21-12 win away to mid-table Luctonians. Luke Booth’s three late penalties proved crucial to the outcome which sees Huddersfield move off the bottom of the table at the expense of a Stockport side that lost three men to the sin-bin in a 22-17 defeat away to Bromsgrove.
A Gavin Roberts hat-trick and a last-minute length of the field try from winger Josiah Dickinson, plus 17 points from the boot of Rich Vasey, earned Caldy a comfortable 37-6 win at home to Dudley Kingswinford.
Round 15 results
Stourbridge 52 - 5 Westoe
Bromsgrove 22 - 17 Stockport
Caldy 37 - 6 Dudley Kingswinford
Darlington Mowden Park P Hull Ionians
Luctonians 12 - 21 Huddersfield
Hull 40 - 31 Sheffield Tigers
Leicester Lions 10 - 9 Preston Grasshoppers
Otley 51 - 15 Birmingham & Solihull
Round 16 fixtures
Birmingham & Solihull Vs. Leicester Lions
Dudley Kingswinford Vs. Stourbridge
Hull Vs. Hull Ionians
Stockport Vs. Caldy
Westoe Vs. Darlington Mowden Park
Bromsgrove Vs. Luctonians
Preston Grasshoppers Vs. Sheffield Tigers
Huddersfield Vs. Otley
