WELL the hors d’oeurvre was without doubt much better than the main course at a cold Langtree Park on Saturday as the Saints Academy kicked off their latest incarnation as an U19s side with a 13-try 74-0 demolition of a much fancied Giants outfit writes Graham Henthorne, Team Manager.
Leading the way was Greg Wilde with a hat-trick and the unstoppable powerhouse that is André Savelio with four.
The Giants looked as if they were going to spoil the party as some poor tackling allowed them to open the scoring in the second minute but that was as close as they got as Derek Traynor’s side clinically took them to pieces.
Savelio opened the Saints account in the sixth minute after Danny Yates’ grubber had been spilled by the full back giving the Saints a scrum on the 10 metre line.
He barged over for his second on the quarter hour after good work from Mark Percival and Greg Richards.
Percival then scored his first strolling over a sublime piece of sleight of hand from Yates’ had put him through.
The Giants were gifting possession to the Saints with a string of penalties on the first tackle and the Saints gladly punished them.
Richards’ offload put Alex Clare close before the ball was moved right and Savelio this time turned provider to put Corey Lee over in the corner.
Clare got onto the scoresheet himself strolling in unopposed after Chris Webster was stopped short and on the next set the substitute twisted out of a tackle to score his second after a powerful run from Luke Thompson had put the Saints on the attack.
Savelio completed his hat-trick and scored Saints sixth try in a devastating 20 minute period as he took Lewis Charnock’s pass before casually dismissing the tackle of his opposite number and strolling in.
Six conversions from Charnock saw the Saints way ahead on the clock but at half-time the coaching staff warned of complacency and urged for yet more professionalism in the second period.
The second half mirrored the first in so many ways. The Giants were first to score, the Saints stuttered a bit but then found their stride and dismissed the opposition as you would an irritating fly.
Greg Wilde took three defenders over to score his first from Charnock’s pass before Savelio sauntered in for his fourth profiting from a big hit by Greg Richards which shook the teeth of the ball carrier and dislodges possession.
Wilde was the first to react to the loose ball from Danny Yates’ cross kick on the last to score his second and he ran in his third from 30 metres out stepping around the stationery full back in the process.
Sandwiched in between Charnock got in on the act as he reacted quickest to touch down a loose ball after his grubber bobbled around in the in goal. Quick hands down the right from Yates, Savelio and Wilde had put debutant winger Matty Fleming clear and it was his inside ball which gave Charnock the chance.
The scoring was finished off in the left corner as Percival took Charnock’s bullet pass to score in the corner.
This was really men against boys. The Saints pack were on top never giving their opposite number’s an inch and making it really easy for messrs Charnock, Yates, Dom Speakman, Lewis Foster and debutant Dave Hewitt to dictate play. There will undoubtedly be tougher assignments to come, but you can only beat the team in front of you and today they were well beaten.
Match Summary:
Saints U19s:
Tries: Corey Lee, Mark Percival 2, Greg Wilde 3, Lewis Charnock, André Savelio 4, Alex Clare 2.
Goals: Mark Percival, Lewis Charnock 10.
Giants U19s Team:
Tries: Jordan Higo, Lewis Graham.
Goals: Jack Miller.
Half Time: 40-6
Full Time: 74-10
Teams:
Saints:
1. Corey Lee; 5. Matty Fleming, 3. Mark Percival, 4. Greg Wilde, 2. Adam Saunders; 6. Lewis Charnock, 18. Danny Yates; 8. Greg Richards, 9. Dom Speakman, 21. Adam Hesketh, 11. Luke Thompson, 12. André Savelio, 13. James Tilley.
Subs: 10. Chris Webster, 14. Dave Hewitt, 15. Alex Clare, 20. Lewis Foster.
Giants:
1. Josh Hunt; 2. Jordan Higo, 3. Jake Shoel, 4. Jake Connor, 5. George Croisdale; 6. Liam Coe, 7. Jack Miller; 8. Josh Johnson, 9. Kruise Leeming, 10. Nathan Mason, 11. George King, 12. Pete Aspinall, 13. Lewis Graham.
Subs: 14. Sam Rotchford, 15. Joe Farrell, 16. Jack Blagbury, 17. Tyler Dickinson.
