Saints » Results

Saints continued their winning streak as they ground out a fully deserved 16-8 win over Hull FC at the KC Stadium.

Leading 10-4 at half time, Daniel Anderson’s men put in a superb tackling stint to seal the victory – none more typified when they withstood five sets on their own line just before the hour mark.

It was then left for Pryce to bring it home with a try – after all that pressure – 15 minutes from time.

At a wild and pretty chilly KC Stadium, Ste Tyrer came in for Ade Gardner (who was injured taking the cap off his radiator!) and James Roby took the starting hooking role with Keiron Cunningham primed for the fullest impact off the bench.

Mike Bennett was also named amongst the substitutes with Maurie Fa’asavalu.

In his first game in charge of Hull FC after the departure of Peter Sharp, Richard Agar moved Todd Byrne to full back and Gareth Carvell returned from injury.

Early doors it was clear that whichever side got the better of the conditions would stand a fair whack at winning. The ball swirled around the KC Stadium from the kick off and the wind would continue to pose trouble whenever it was put up high.

Hull tested the Saints line early doors with a swirling kick from Berrigan but good defence halted any danger.

Jason Cayless then was in the right place at the right time to intercept a promising attack down the left. From there, the ball was worked left to Roby who fed Wilkin on the burst to go over. Long short with the extras.

Six minutes in and Saints were four to the good – thanks to some canny play from Cayless in the first instance and Roby.

Wilkin almost repeated the act four minutes later but was hauled down in good field position.

Willie Talau fired Saints into a good position on 12 minutes with a bullocking run down the left when the ball was worked to him from the scrum. The Kiwi bounced off two would be tacklers before being brought down 30 metres from the line.

As sprightly as Saints were in the opening quarter, they were also as mean in defence, stopping any real Hull attacks before they had chance to develop. And with Tyrer’s wing being put under pressure through clearing kicks, the youngster was more than up to the task.

Saints then went 70 metres up the field through Meli and Gilmour; the former feeding the latter with an nice ball that saw him go nearly all the way until he was caught just inches from the line.

From there, the ball was thrown left and right before Roby looked to have lost the ball over the line – confirmed by the video referee – making Wellens’ touchdown a mere postscript.

It was a move that deserved points; but credit to the excellent Hull cover tackling.

Seconds later, Wilkin was flying through the centre once more, but his pass inside was well covered. From there, the ball came right through Pryce to Matt Gidley who fired out the most sensational back flip pass for Tyrer to increase the lead. Long stretched the lead to ten.

With 24 minutes gone, Saints were penalised twice in quick succession and Hull found themselves camped on their opponent’s line. But Saints held firm and then watched a chip through go dead.

Cunningham came on for Roby with 12 left to go in the half and Saints found themselves in Hull territory. But, the ball was lost and Thackray returned it with interest – certain to score if it wasn’t for Talau’s tracking tackle.

From there, the ball was kicked for Raynor to chase and Tyrer forced it into touch. Hull then found themselves with six on Saints line, but were caught throwing a forward pass and the chance was lost.

But the Saints’ defence was finally unlocked when a loose ball was collected and Hull made the pressure pay.

It went from left to the right and then kicked into the corner for Tyrer and Wellens to clean up. Saints seemed to be more than up to the task, but instead of getting the ball safe, Yeaman kicked at the ball as Long was looking to collect and touched down. Tickle inches wide the extras.

Half Time: Hull 4 Saints 10

The final stages of the first half would have been a blow to Saints who were easily the better team of the first 40 minutes. Therefore, it was more than important that didn’t concede early doors.

Eight minutes in, Pryce showed fleet of foot to get Saints in good field position but on the next tackle the chip through was just short.

Immediately Hull were up the other end of the field and if it wasn’t for some nice footballing skills from Wellens, they could have pulled four back.

On 52 minutes, Saints were penalised for offside in the middle of the park and from there, Hull drove to within metres. Silverwood then gave Hull another set from a penalty and then another set when Saints unluckily grounded the ball on an interception attempt.

Ste Tyrer was unlucky not to intercept seconds later and when Hull lined up for their fourth set in Saints’ 20, it looked as if the points would come. But Saints were penalised for a high tackle and yet another set went Hull’s way.

The pressure was finally broken when a chip through was left by Tyrer and Saints had a 20 metre restart.

Remarkably, when most sides would be licking their wounds after such a defensive stint, Saints took that pressure and converted it into points.

On their first foray into Hull’s half for a while, Pryce took a ball at full pelt and streaked over. Long missing the extras.

But with quarter of an our left to play Hull continued to come at the Saints line and forced a drop out when a towering kick was unluckily knocked forward by Ste Tyrer. Saints held firm and could have increased their lead… Talau collecting a loose ball and going 60 metres before Roby lost the ball after being caught high.

Ste Tyrer then took a monster of a high ball to underline the steady performance the youngster has put in.

With around five minutes to go, Mike Bennett was taken off with a suspected shoulder injury and from the penalty, Long kicked Saints two converted scores ahead.

From the restart Hull regathered possession – albeit from a clearly offside position – and put even more pressure on the Saints line.

But, once again superb tackling held Thackray up on the last over the line and the lead was protected.

Raynor closed off a length of the field try for Hull on the stroke of full time, but it was too little too late.

Match Summary

Hull FC:

Tries: Yeaman, Raynor

Goals: Tickle (0 from 1)

Saints:

Tries: Wilkin, Tyrer, Pryce

Goals: Long (2 from 4)

Penalties:

Hull FC: 12

Saints: 12

HT (Sts First): 10-4

FT (Sts First): 16-8

ATT: 14,653

REF: Richard Silverwood

Teams:

Hull FC:

25. Todd Byrne; 2. Matt Sing, 4. Craig Hall, 3. Kirk Yeaman, 5. Gareth Raynor; 13. Danny Washbrook, 9. Shaun Berrigan; 8. Ewan Dowes, 20. Danny Houghton, 26. Peter Cusack, 16. Willie Manu, 12. Danny Tickle, 11. Lee Radford.

Subs: 10. Garreth Carvell, 17. Graeme Horne, 23. Tommy Lee, 31. Jamie Thackray.

Saints :

1. Paul Wellens; 22. Ste Tyrer, 3. Matt Gidley, 4. Willie Talau, 5. Francis Meli; 6. Leon Pryce, 7. Sean Long, 10. Jason Cayless, 14. James Roby, 17. James Graham, 11. Lee Gilmour, 16. Chris Flannery, 12. Jon Wilkin.

Subs: 9. Keiron Cunningham, 15. Mike Bennett, 18. Bryn Hargreaves, 23. Maurie Fa’asavalu.