Midlands Hurricanes 16-78 London Broncos
Betfred Championship Round Twenty-One
By Tom Kiernan-Wilson
After three successive wins against Goole (38-22), Batley (30-34) and Rochdale (42-4), Men’s Head Coach Mark Dunning knew his boys faced a tough challenge in the form of the high-flying, undefeated London Broncos. This would be the third meeting between the sides this season, with the Broncos winning 64-0 at Plough Lane and 24-62 at Avery Fields in the 1895 Cup Semi-Final.
With an attendance only 30 or so short of the 1895 Cup fixture in June, Sunday’s attendance of 489 represented the second highest for the Canes since moving to Avery Fields. Part of that crowd included a number of youngsters from Shrewsbury Lions, Leamington Royals and Swadlincote RLFC, who formed a guard of honour for both teams and played a mini-game of league in front of the supporters at half-time.
The game started strongly for the Canes, with Aidan McGowan presented with the first opportunity to score but was bundled into touch in the third minute. After McGowan was forced to concede a goal-line drop out in the sixth minute, London struck first as Jack Croft carved through a gap down the left (0-4). Meadows would convert from out wide (0-6).
The visitors would go back to back a couple of minutes later as former Cane Elliot Wallis scores down the left edge on the last tackle (0-10). Meadows would miss the conversion. Four minutes later Brendan Webster-Mansfield would score London’s third as a break down the right edge allowed him to weave past Matty Chrimes and score (0-14). Meadows would again nail a good conversion from out wide (0-16).
Two minutes later the Broncos would go back to back once more as a high ball contest between Chrimes and Neil Tchamambe was won by the Broncos winger who raced over in the right corner (0-20). Meadows would convert again (0-22).
Elliot Wallis would almost go in for his second a minute later but his effort would be pulled back for a forward pass. The Canes would almost respond with their own attempt but a nice chip by Sully Medforth could not be collected by McGowan.
The Broncos would capitalise on that error by scoring their fifth try as Webster-Mansfield scored right of the sticks (0-26), with Meadows once again converting (0-28). Things would go from bad to worse for the Canes as half-back James Woodburn-Hall would walk off with a nasty looking shoulder injury after a tackle, meaning Sutcliffe would move from the centre to partner with Medforth in the halves.
Prolific try-scorer Gairo Voro would add to the Broncos tally just before the half-hour mark as some tired home defending began to show (0-32), and Meadows would extend that lead further from the kicking tee (0-34).
Just after the half-hour mark the Canes finally opened their account as a rare venture into the Broncos 20 allowed Toby Warren to collect a short pass and crash through the London defence to barge over (4-34). Medforth would be on hand to convert from left of the posts (6-34).
Just before halftime the Broncos would have the last word, as some poor handling gifted London a scrum 10 metres out, and Neil Tchamambe would be the recipient of any easy training ground move down the right edge (6-38). Meadows would miss the conversion.
Head Coach Mark Dunning asked for a response from his men in the second half, and his team showed real signs of a response in the first ten minutes as they completed and once again had the benefit of the first real attacking set before Ethan Newboult was wrapped up close to the line.
McGowan would eventually add to the Canes scoreline as a nice high bomb allowed him to jump and outcompete his counterpart before crashing over in the right corner to score (10-34). Medforth would be unable to convert from out wide.
On the 50-minute mark the Broncos would regain control after a penalty for late hit, which allowed Benjamin Hursley-Hord to score under the posts (10-42). Meadows would add the extras (10-44). Goro would score a few minutes later despite the best efforts of a chasing McGowan (10-48), and Meadows would once again convert (10-50).
Voro would get his hat-trick as the Broncos went back to back following a six-again (10-54), with Meadows adding the extras (10-56). With just under 20 minutes to go Dean Hawkins finished off a move under sticks as the Canes defence began to tire (10-60), and Meadows would convert (10-62).
London would turn the screw further as Siliva Havili would break through some tired defence (10-66), and Meadows would extend the visitors lead further (10-68). Broncos Captain Reagan Campbell-Gillard would score next (10-72), with Meadows adding two more from the tee (10-74).
With eight minutes left Meadows would be flattened by Ryan Johnson just after offloading the ball which would eventually find Alex Max in space to score down the right edge (10-78). Voro would take over the kicking duties from the injured Meadows and miss, and Johnson would be sin-binned for his shot on Meadows.
Despite a very difficult second half it was the home side who would have the final say as Captain Jon-Luke Kirby would crash over under the posts with a little under five minutes to go to score his fourth try in as many games (14-78). Sully Medforth would add the extras (16-78).
The full-time hooter would sound, and a long afternoon against a full-time Broncos outfit laced with NRL, Super League and international experience would come to an end. Mark and his men will no doubt be hoping to return to winning ways this Sunday as they welcome Keighley Cougars to Avery Fields, who will be in action once again only four days after their rearranged home clash with Dewsbury Rams.
Man of the Match:
Tyler Dickinson (Sponsored by DC Environmental)
Tries:
Warren, McGowan and Kirby
Cons:
Medforth (2/3)
