Huddersfield V Ripon U15s

Huddersfield 5 Ripon 43

Ripon U15s had their best result of the season this weekend when visiting Huddersfield. An almost full squad turned out and showed what they can do in building on the good performances of last year.A shaky start to the season had been put behind the team with the cup win at Redcar last week and the team improved on this at Huddersfield. Ripon played rugby as a team with excellent tackling, dominance in the scrum and full support from the backs.

Ripon went ahead within five minutes with centre Peter Willis showing a good step to go in after a solid scrum. Not long after, Sidwell, playing at full back, was in at the corner in support of a good back line move. Willis went on to score again in the first half to give a half time lead of 17-0 to Ripon.

Ripon’s full team approach to the game was exemplified early in the second half when a Ripon maul was held up on the Huddersfield line by some good defence. Huddersfield then put the pressure on to drive Ripon back. Not to be out done, the Ripon forwards redoubled their efforts and won the ball, before setting up a back line move that saw Gregory draw his man before making an excellent pass to put Philips in at the corner.

Tries from Thompson and Latham followed before Willis capped a great personal performance with his hat trick try which he ran in from his own twenty two, avoiding several despairing tackles.

Huddersfield scored once before the end, but the game was over by then. It is not possible to name all who were there but everybody played their part and, but for some strong Huddersfield defence, many others could have scored as well.