Bees 54-7 Moortown

Three games into the North One East season, The Bees sit on top of the table as one of three undefeated teams after a sucessive seven try and fifty point haul. The Bees looked a far more cohesive unit this week and the feeling amongst the squad after the game was that they collectively left two or three scores out on the field and on another day may have also come away with at least one penalty try.

The visitors opened the better and deserved their early lead as a number of runners carved through a disjointed Bees defensive line. After several bursts up field from a very lively looking Moortown back division, there were seven minutes on the clock when Jesse Tipene wriggled over to the right of the posts. Mark Shires added the extra points and Moortown held a deserved lead.

This early shock seemed to galvanise Hugh Gumbs' men into action and the Bees pack were quickly on the front foot, battering away at the visitors defensive line and looking to find an opening first up the right hand touchline then to the left. As the focus of the attacks continue to vary, it was then a old fashioned blast straight up the gut of the visitors' defence from Kati Tuipolutu which got the Bees on the scoreboard. Lance Taylor chipped over the conversion to pull things level and now the Bees had found the tryline there was a different spring in their step as they set about improving that first score. There was some real pace on show from the whole of the Bees threequarters, with Ben Hockenhull and Taylor getting the ball away from the forwards and into space at every opportunity. As the quarter hour came up, Adam Sutcliffe zipped through for the first of his three scores from fullback. Sutcliffe seems to have rediscovered the zip in his legs and the confidence to have a run at the opposition and his three scores on the day mean he now has five from the last two games as part of a back three who are always looking to run the ball back whenever the opportunity arises. No sooner had the game restarted than it seemed the Bees were celebrating a third try and Sutcliffe's second five pointer with 18 minutes on the watch. Sutcliffe has taken a route up the left wing for his first score, but his second came from a burst straight up the middle, giving Taylor a routine chip shot for the conversion. Taylor immediately added a penalty and then another three pointer ten minutes later as the home side zipped the ball across the field, but the visitors at least seem to recover some defensive composure in the final ten minutes of the half to not concede any further points, although there were a couple of howls of protest from Bees supporters on the touchline nearest the River Aire when it seemed a Moortown player had illegally prevented a clear scoring opportunity wide out on the right. The referee saw nothing that might see a penalty try awarded and the sides turned round at 25 points to seven in favour of the home side.

The half time break did not disrupt the Bees rhythm unduly and as soon as the ball was back in play for the second half, The Bees were immediately dominant. Tom Cummins continued where he had left off in the first half, bumping and barging in the close encounters between the forwards, but the Bees were able to give the ball width as soon as they got out of their own half, With the second half two minutes old, Ryan Wilson charged through a gap up his wing and improved the home advantage to 30 points to seven. Taylor added the extra points and kept the scoreboard going with a penalty as the watch ticked onto 48 minutes played. Even at 35 7 the visitors stuck to their defensive duties and even though they rarely broke into Bees territory they did not allow any further points from the home side for around 20 minutes, until Cummins finally made the breakthrough to dot down after sustained pressure. No sooner had the Bees regrouped after Cummins' try than they were celebrating the try of the match as the ball was whipped away from a maul on the half way line and swift hands from the Bees put Wilson away with only the final defender to beat. As the Bees wing man closed in on the final rear guard he feigned a move to his outside and then flicked the ball behind his back to Sutcliffe who cut in from the left wing to charge over unopposed. The move brought a roar of approval from Bees supporters and will no doubt have cost Wilson a fine in the changing room for showboating.

Taylor again added the extras and with around eight minutes left on the clock the Bees were closing in on fifty points, a tremendous haul against a side who were previously top of the league table. However, it looked like Moortown might just save themselves from a fifty point mauling as the defended gamely during the closing exchanges, but the Bees half backs had other ideas, and with almost the final action of the game, scrum half Hockenhull was over for the seventh try which is half back partner, Taylor duly improved.

By
Nick Patterson