Academy start with win: Report, Highlights, Reaction and Gallery!

Saints Academy put behind them a disappointing first half performance to see off London Broncos 54-16 in their first game for over 14 months at the Totally Wicked Stadium on Sunday.

A game is of course a game of two halves and with the Saints finding themselves 16 – 6 down after 16 minutes this was definitely the case.

Four minutes in and the Saints knew all about the threat of London as three repeat sets on the bounce and a missed knock-on later they found themselves a try down.

From the restart the Saints forced a knock-on first tackle and after a great Harry Brooks charge Taylor Pemberton dove over at dummy half.

Penalties and repeat sets kept the Saints penned in their own 20 metre area and the Broncos hooker dived in to regain the lead. Five minutes later and the lead was extended as the Saints all stood and watched a delicate last tackle chip regained by the Broncos captain for the score.

Realistically however, that was as good as it got for the visitors.

The introduction of Cole Appleby and Ethan Bradbury off the bench speeded and beefed up the Saints carries and the Broncos couldn’t deal with it.

On 24 minutes Shay Martyn started the fightback scoring his first collecting Daniel Ganson’s last tackle chip. On the half hour Appleby spilled a Bradbury crash ball under the sticks before the two combined five minutes later to set up the position for Lewis Baxter to put Bradbury over at the posts with a delightful short pass.

The second half started with the Saints showing a renewed determination to play fast and take the game to the visitors. Quick hands to the right saw Ganson feed Moss and he committed the winger before setting Jumah Sambou free to score.

Martyn scored his second latching onto a Jonathan Bennison pass to score in the left corner after the fullback had weaved in and out past three defenders.

The game was finally taken away from the visitors with back-to-back tries.

Firstly, Reece Sumner had a stroll in on down the left then Kian Naylor scored on the right. Appleby and his front row partner Joe Woods had bulldozed their way through the Broncos line only for Ganson’s last tackle kick to hit a Bronco. The rebound was hacked on by the scrum half for Naylor to pick up and score.

On the hour a Broncos attack was stopped by a one-on-one steal from Bennison who embarked on a 70-metre run. Caught from behind the Broncos were in no state to defend their line and Moss put Owen Blackwood in at the corner.

The Saints ninth try came courtesy of another couple of Appleby drives before the powerfully impressive Sambou went through the line committed the fullback giving it out to Kallem Rodgers to go over in the corner.

The final score of the game saw Moss feed Sambou who shot through the line and inside the fullback to score at the sticks.

Saints U19’s Team: Jonathan Bennison; Jumah Sambou, Rio Corkill, Owen Blackwood, Shay Martyn; Daniel Moss, Daniel Ganson; Joe Woods, Taylor Pemberton, Harry Brooks, Ben O’Donnell, Reece Sumner, Lewis Baxter (C).

Interchanges: Ethan Bradbury, Cole Appleby, Kian Naylor, Kallem Rodgers.

Tries: Taylor Pemberton (6), Shay Martyn (24 & 46), Ethan Bradbury (35), Jumah Sambou (42 & 71), Reece Sumner (55), Kian Naylor (58), Owen Blackwood (63), Kallem Rodgers (66).

Goals: Shay Martyn 7 from 10.

London Broncos U19’s Team: Michael Owen; Tommy Svanidze, Daniel Hoyes, George Dadd, Rhys Cotter; (C), Bill Leyland; Luciano Bejanidze, Jacob Smith, Sam Whinney, Jack Howorth, Max Allen, Rory Gray.

Interchanges: Daniel Cannon, Tommy Porter, Euan Parke, Nathan Kosbab.

Tries: Daniel Hoyes, (4), Jacob Smith (11), Sean Baker (16).

Goals: Sean Baker 2 from 3.

HT: 18-16

FT: 54-16

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