Rugby - Skipper inspires buoyant day at Hull (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Rugby - Skipper inspires buoyant day at Hull

4:20pm Tuesday 10th November 2009 in

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AN EXCELLENT team performance in the second half of Kendal’s game away at Hull saw the Black and Ambers record a well-deserved 28-8 victory which puts some clear water between themselves and the bottom of the table.

In beautiful dry sunny conditions – totally the opposite of what the Seconds played in at Mint Bridge – two poor sides produced a half of rugby to be forgotten.

Whether it was the long journey across the M62 or what but Kendal started the game by spilling three early passes and lacked any sort of composure which handed the initiative, territory and possession to Hull.

Thankfully Hull lacked the ability to capitalise and only had a James Cameron penalty to show for their endeavour when Kendal were penalised for going over at a ruck in the fifth minute.

Stand-off Mike Scott’s neatly attempted drop-goal in the tenth minute was the closest Kendal came to scoring any first half points until centre Ian Voortman, on his return to action after injury, burst out of defence on a counter-attacking run in the 31st minute.

He passed to winger Chris Park whose intelligent kick into the Hull 22 had the defence in all sorts of trouble and they were eventually penalised at the breakdown. Mark Ireland successfully kicked the penalty to level the scores.

Kendal then had to call upon their resolute defence to repel several phases of determined Hull forward drives for the tryline as the home side worked hard to score the game’s first try.

However, a lot of credit must be given to the Kendal defence which held firm up until the half-time whistle.

The second half was a different matter altogether.

Hull, looking to pass the ball wide early in the second half, were undone when Voortman read the play perfectly to swoop on the pass and score a 45-metre interception try under the posts.

Ireland converted to give Kendal a 3-10 lead after 44 minutes and he added two further penalties to the Kendal tally. From the restart after the second penalty, the Kendal forwards, who were now playing as a unit and with an assured composure, secured good ball for Scott to place an intelligent chip over the defence on to the right wing.

Chris Park, showing handling skills Cirque de Soleil would have been proud of, flipped the ball over his opposite number, regathered it and raced up his wing.

Committing the last defender he passed inside to flanker Gary Hodgson, in excellent support, and he touched down for the try which was converted by Ireland.

Kendal then got rather bogged down in their own 22 for the next ten minutes and conceded a try in the 78th minute when from a quickly-taken tap penalty full back Guy Martinson sneaked in unchallenged at the corner to score an unconverted try.

Kendal, however, finished with a flourish when Chris Park held on to a well-timed long pass on to his wing and he beat the cover to score wide out.