First Half
Saints had the first big chance three minutes in. Good work down our right edge saw Jacob Douglas break, he looked to kick when he had space ahead of him down the right edge but the ball was deflected into touch.
Seven minutes in, Wakefield opened the scoring. Nene Macdonald was ruled to have obstructed Lachlan Walmsley who chased a high kick. A few tackles in, Tyson Smoothy opted to run from dummy half and spun his way over to score from close range. Jack Sinfield’s conversion attempt bounced in off the post, 6-0 we trailed.
Four minutes later, they had a second try. More pressure on our line saw Sinfield delay a pass to Isaiah Vangana who went through a gap left by a misread by Macdonald to crash over and score. Sinfield’s conversion sailed wide this time around, 10-0.
The visitors tried to fight back. On the last tackle, in Wakefield territory, Jack Welsby opted to go down our short-side on the right and throw a cut-out pass towards Douglas on the wing but the ball went into touch. Saints’ fullback was taken off for a HIA as a result of the play.
Saints did get back into it 24 minutes in. Jackson Hastings got the ball down our left edge, hit kicked inside with the outside of his right foot, Tristan Sailor, filling in at fullback whilst Welsby had a HIA, winning the race to the loose ball to score. Hastings converted the try, 10-6.
The visitors then had the lead just before the half-hour mark. Saints worked the ball out to the left edge and Lewis Murphy finished acrobatically in the corner. Hastings added the conversion to give us the lead for the first time, 10-12.
Wakefield re-claimed the lead just after the half-hour mark. Saints made an error just after the kick off. The hosts used some tackles up before going left, Jake Trueman throwing a cut-out pass to Jayden Myers who scored in the corner. There was a check after the try being awarded, with the Wakefield man going into touch before grounding the ball under pressure from Douglas.
Minutes after, they did have the lead back. A penalty gave the hosts field position, Sinfield collecting an offload just inside our half and racing through a gap down the middle, reaching out to finish under pressure from Sailor. He converted his own score, 16-12.
After trailing early on, Saints fought back to lead but a late Sinfield score gave the hosts a 16-12 lead at the break in West Yorkshire.
Second Half
Five minutes into the second half, we had a trip to the video referee. A high kick was contested by Corey Hall and Sailor, with the ball coming loose which ended with Walmsley going over down the right edge. During the contest, Hall knocked the ball on into Sailor though, which ruled the potential four-pointer out.
Three minutes later, Saints levelled the scores. The visitors forced an error inside Wakefield’s half. We moved the ball from right to left, Welsby found Murphy who once again finished brilliantly in the corner under pressure against his former club. Hastings added the conversion from the touchline to give Saints the lead back, 16-18.
The hosts almost had the lead back in the 54th minute. A scruffy play the ball from dummy half saw the hosts run it on the last on halfway. Harvey Smith broke down the middle, got away from some tackles before being hauled down by Hastings five metres short of the try-line.
Just before the hour mark, we had another trip to the video referee. The hosts shifted the ball down their right edge, Walmsley broke and dove for the corner, but Sailor, now playing left wing after Murphy left the field, did brilliantly to push him into touch short of the line.
Saints had a chance to extend the lead on the hour-mark. Hastings was tackled late whilst kicking and the visitors opted for two points. Hastings’ kick bounced out off the post, meaning the hosts had to dropout from their twenty.
Saints extended their lead in the 64th minute. The visitors forced successive dropouts to apply pressure. On the last tackle of their final set, Sailor put a low kick in under the sticks which Caius Faatili knocked on and Billy Keeley won the race to the loose ball to score. Hastings converted to give us a two-score lead, 16-24.
With just over ten minutes to go, Saints had a fifth try. Off the back of a big break downfield from Welsby, Hastings tried a low kick down the left edge which was deflected, Sinfield couldn’t pick the loose ball up and Sailor took full advantage to score his second try of the contest under the sticks. Hastings converted, 16-30 we led.
Saints had another shortly after. Another Wakefield error gave us possession on halfway. We marched downfield, Jake Davies got the ball on the right edge, making the most of the extra man on his outside to score in the corner. Hastings missed the conversion, 16-34.
Sailor then had his hat-trick. Welsby refused to be tackled and did well to offload to Sailor. He turned Hall inside out and raced away to score under the sticks. Hastings added another conversion, 16-40.
There was still time for one more try. Wakefield didn’t deal with a high kick, Sailor claimed and found Davies who broke some weak tackle attempts down the right edge to go over for his second try. Hastings slotted over the conversion, 16-46.
That was the final action of the game. Saints scoring 34 unanswered points in the second half to Wakefield’s nil to win 16-46 at the DIY Kitchens Stadium!
Match Summary
Wakefield Trinity Team: Josh Rourke, Lachlan Walmsley, Cameron Scott, Corey Hall, Jayden Myers, Jake Trueman, Jack Sinfield, Mike McMeeken, Tyson Smoothy, Ky Rodwell, Isaiah Vagana, Matty Storton, Jazz Tevaga.
Interchanges: Caleb Hamlin-Uele, Caius Faatili, Harvey Smith, Tray Lolesio.
18th Man: Will Tate.
Tries: Tyson Smoothy (8), Isaiah Vagana (12), Jack Sinfield (35)
Conversions: Jack Sinfield (2 from 3)
Saints Team: Jack Welsby, Jacob Douglas, Tristan Sailor, Nene Macdonald, Lewis Murphy, Harry Robertson, Jackson Hastings, Alex Walmsley, Joe Shorrocks, Daniel Suluka-Fifita, Shane Wright, Jake Davies, Jacob Host.
Interchanges: Tom Humphreys, Billy Keeley, Matty Evans, Chris Matagi.
18th Man: Cole Marsh.
Tries: Tristan Sailor (24, 70, 77), Lewis Murphy (29, 48), Billy Keeley (65), Jake Davies (75, 79)
Conversions: Jackson Hastings (7 from 8)
Penalties: Jackson Hastings (0 from 1)
HT: 16-12
FT: 16-46
