SAINTS U19s continued their nomadic existence in a bid to protect Langtree’s pitch by playing their latest game at the home of Blackbrook.
The unfamiliar pitch made no difference to the players however, as they dished out a 14-try 74-6 mauling to the visiting Broncos.
Only some wayward kicking from Lewis Fairhurst kept the score under a point a minute as the Saints ran in seven tries in each half.
Ben Morris led the way with four, Calvin Wellington making his first appearance of the season scored a hat-trick and there were braces for Jake Spedding and Regan Grace.
Coach Derek Traynor had asked for the mistakes at Leeds to be rectified and this was evident from the off as the forwards tore into their opposite numbers which gave them good field position for their first set. In a move which was to be repeated often in the first period, Ricky Bailey made good yards down the left passing it out to Grace whose inside ball saw Spedding stroll through to the sticks.
Danny Richardson’s wonderful 40/20 gave the Saints a scrum on the Broncos 10 metre line and as the ball was shifted right Wellington steamed onto Spedding’s short pass to score.
Good defensive hitting from the forwards forced the error form the visitors and from the scrum the Saints went left where Fairhurst and Spedding put Grace in at the corner.
The speedy winger scored his second straight from the kick off as Aaron Smith showed great awareness darting down the short blind side and finding Spedding who put Grace away. The winger went out and in then beat the cover for a fabulous wingers try.
Full back Ricky Bailey got in on the party stepping through the line and handing off his opposite number to score the fifth Saints try.
The Broncos got a bit of breathing space props Joe Ryan and Ross McCauley went off but soon found that they had to deal with the rampaging bull that is Matty Lees who continued to hurt them down the middle.
Two further tries in the final five minutes from Wellington and Morris made the lead 36 points at the interval.
As always with visiting Broncos sides they never give in and they were rewarded for their endeavours as they punished three consecutive Saints errors by scoring in the corner.
However, that was as good as it got as the Saints got straight back on the horse forcing the Broncos to knock on then simple passing out left and great line running from Morris saw the big sub in again.
Spedding scored his second taking a lovely pass from Morgan Knowles before young Josh Eaves got his first at this level diving over from close to the line.
Aaron Smith crowned an assured performance at hooker with a fine individual try dummying his way in down the blind side from half way.
Two copybook line running tries from Morris took his personal tally to four. Sandwiched in between was Wellington’s hat-trick try which came after two chips over the defensive line from Danny Richardson taken first by Bailey and then pounced on over the line by the big Welsh centre.
No-one is under any illusions about the calibre of the opposition put up today to run away with any delusions of grandeur but the pleasing part of today’s display was that most of the bad things that went on at Stanningley seemed to have been put right.
There was a bite to the Saints tackling from the off and continuing all the way through and a crisp and clinical attitude to the attack which saw the Saints create and take many opportunities.
They now look to continue the improvement with a visit to the Salford Reds on Thursday evening.
Match Summary:
Saints U19s:
Tries: Ricky Bailey, Jake Spedding 2, Calvin Wellington 3, Regan Grace 2, Aaron Smith, Josh Eaves, Ben Morris 4.
Goals: Lewis Fairhurst 9.
London U19s:
Tries: Tuoyo Egodo.
Goals: Tom Scarsbrook.
Half Time: 36-0
Full Time: 74-6
Teams:
Saints:
1. Ricky Bailey; 2. David Eccleston, 4. Calvin Wellington, 3. Jake Spedding, 5. Regan Grace; 6. Danny Richardson, 7. Lewis Fairhurst; 8. Ross McCauley, 9. Aaron Smith, 10. Joe Ryan, 11. Olly Davies, 12. Liam Cooper, 13. Morgan Knowles.
Subs: 14. Josh Eaves, 15. Joe McLoughlin, 16. Ben Morris, 17. Matty Lees.
Broncos:
1. Alex Walker; 2. Will Relfe, 3. Tuoyo Egodo, 4. Joe Glover, 5. Jordan Williams; 6. Matt Davies, 7. Tom Scarsbrook; 8. Callum Bustin, 9. Ben Pointer, 10. Lewis Bienek, 11. Oli Toms, 12. Matt Davis, 13. Ben Gray.
Subs: 14. Roshanne Johnson, 15. Ash Gingell, 16. Errol Carter, 17. Rob Butler.
