4 May 2023

St Helens U16s 24 Leeds Rhinos U16s 26

By Guy Harvey

Mark Butterill and his staff took their young Rhinos team over the Pennines to bitter rivals St Helens looking at keeping the unbeaten record they hold intact but we’re fully aware the opposition would be the toughest test they’d face thus far. And they certainly started off in regular fashion forcing the goal line dropout straight from kick off. But it wouldn’t be until the fifth minute that the Rhinos would get their first try of the match, through Callum Webster diving over in the corner comfortably thanks to an overlap that was created from quick hands from hooker Alex Cowley and scrum half Harry Smith.

However, the next ten minutes would become quite the battle between the two sides with plenty of ferocious running with the ball being matched with some huge tackles from the defence forcing a few errors but some of the decisions given by the referee being seen as different by the majority of the crowd. And in the thirteenth minute we would see a first this season with the Rhinos conceding a try to the home side with Keagan Allibone diving in at the corner with what was quite a similar try to the one Leeds had opened with. The Saints would convert their try and take a 6-4 lead which they would hold on to until the half hour mark when a moment of individual brilliance from Marcus Qareqare allowed him to break the defensive line and beat the full back with a great step and crash over for the try.

The Rhinos then went up a couple of gears and stated to put some pressure on the saint's side, after a kick from Harry Smith was left to bounce it would be George Brown that reacts the quickest to regain possession and pass it out wide to Jack Wilson who was able to race to the corner untouched for the try. Wilson wasn’t done there however and would grab his second of the game on the half time hooter again finding space out wide to cross for the try and send the Rhinos in at half time with a healthy 6-20 lead.

The second forty began with ten minutes of both teams going set for set with each other and seeing who would be the first to crack but both teams playing nice rugby and defending well also, the first crack would come from St Helens after George Brown running at the line would throw an amazing dummy pass to open the defence in front of him and race threw forty meters from the Saints line but with the full back to beat Zak Lloyd was close by to receive the pass and score the try. It would be the final time in the match the Rhinos would score but thankfully would be enough to get the win for Mark Butterill’s side even though the home side would cross for three tries in the final fifteen minutes, firstly with Nathan Stafford crossing the whitewash in the corner and shortly after the hour mark Kian McGann was able to crash over just besides the posts after a scramble in the middle of the field would open up space for him to score the try. And finally with seconds left on the clock Oliver Garmston would rush in under the post thanks to tired defence from the Rhinos but unfortunately just two points shy for the home side allowing the young Rhinos to continue their undefeated run.

The Scholarship side are next in action at Headingley Stadium on Wednesday 14^th June against the Huddersfield Giants Scholarship side with a 7pm kick off scheduled.

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