North Wales Crusaders 18-56 Midlands Hurricanes
Betfred Championship Round Nine
By Tom Kiernan-Wilson
Storm Dave might have battered the Isle of Anglesey on Saturday night, but it was the Hurricanes who stormed through Colwyn Bay on Easter Sunday to win the newly named El Expansico derby.
Midlands dominated the contest early on and in truth should have scored after four minutes as Ryan Johnson and Matty Chrimes found themselves in a 2-on-1 overlap, but Johnson couldn’t keep hold of the ball and coughed up possession on the Crusaders 10m line.
Lewis Else caused all sorts of chaos for the hosts early on as well, although a third-man tackle kept the wily half-back down with a lower back injury for a couple of minutes before he bounced back to chase his own chip kick and wrestle the Crusaders full-back behind his own try-line for a goal-line drop out.
The Canes would break the deadlock on 16 minutes as Lewis Else would create space for Ryan Johnson to cut through to score in the left-hand corner (0-4). Remnants of Storm Dave meant Sully Medforth could not convert from out wide in the high winds.
Much like last week, that initial score would wake up the hosts who would have their best spell of the first half, earning two goal-line drop outs and almost taking the lead on the 25-minute mark to only have the effort ruled out for offside. It would, however, be the Canes that would score next as Sully Medforth showed some nice skill to dummy his way over on the right edge (0-8). He was unable to add the extras.
The dam then appeared to truly break for North Wales, as Lewis Else would collect an inward pass following a nice move from Todd Horner to score under the posts (0-12) and Sully would nail his first of six conversions (0-14) on the very next set. A few minutes later, the rampaging Zeus Silk barrelled his way over to score despite the best efforts of the Crusaders defence (0-18) and Sully would once again convert (0-20).
The Canes almost extended that lead further in the dying moments of the first half, but Brandon Moore’s scoot from in front of the try-line was ruled out for obstruction.
The second half would be shaky initially for the visitors, with an early knock-on gifting the hosts an opportunity to open their account. After five minutes they would eventually succeed as Declan Patton would crash over despite Lewis Else seemingly ending up with the ball and racing away (4-20). The conversion would also be successful (6-20).
That concession would prove to be the turning point, as just two minutes later the Canes struck back through Lewis Else feeding Toby Warren who coasted through the defence to score under the posts (6-24). Sully Medforth would be on hand again to convert (6-26).
Possibly our finest try of the afternoon would follow five minutes later, as a play started by Todd Horner found Aidan McGowan who would race 50+ metres to bring us within the Crusaders 10m line, with the ball switching right and finding Oliver Roberts in space to score right of the posts (6-30). Sully would once again convert (6-32).
The Canes would carve up Crusaders further with a back-to-back effort finished nicely by Luis Roberts down the right edge (6-36) that could not be converted, and five minutes later Aidan McGowan would finish off another nice attacking set down the right wing (6-40) that would also see the conversion missed.
Midlands thought they were in for their third a few sets later as a Todd Horner grubber was pounced on by Isaac Shaw, but the prop would be denied his first try in Canes colours as the effort was pulled back for offside. Lewis Else would however secure our third try five minutes later as he opted to bulldoze over the Keighley defender to plonk the ball down (6-20). Sully would however drag his conversion attempt wide.
As we entered the final 15 minutes, the Canes somehow took things up a gear. Captain Jon-Luke Kirby – fresh off the announcement that he will be a Cane until 2028 – took a short pass to crash and spin his way over for a try (6-44) that would be converted by Sully (6-46). The visitors would go back-to-back a minute later as some hands from left to right found Matty Chrimes (6-50), but his effort could not be converted. Our final score of the game would see hooker Aiden Roden carve through some wilting defence (6-54) before Sully nailed his final conversion of the afternoon (6-56).
With the game comfortably wrapped up, a couple of errors creeped into the Canes play that allowed Crusaders to score a couple of late consolations in the final minutes. Veteran Patrick Ah Van would get the hosts over in the right corner following a fumbled kick restart (10-56) that would be converted (12-56), and Ah Van would again be in position to take a pass to score down the right edge just before the hooter (16-56) that would also be converted (18-56).
We’re four consecutive away games down with five more to go, but Head Coach Mark Dunning will be pleased to be heading into Workington next Sunday having won 7 of the 8 competition points on offer on the road.
Man of the Match: Zeus Silk (sponsored by This is Warrior)
Tries: Johnson, Medforth, Else, Silk, Warren, O Roberts, L Roberts, McGowan, Kirby, Chrimes and Roden
Cons: Medforth (6/11)
