Rugby League Coaching Manuals

Second half started as a bit of an arm wrestle with Widnes putting on pressure till John Baybutt intercepted a pass to race 30 metres to score for the Riversiders.

Free flowing rugby from the hosts saw captain Simon Atherton score a genuine hat trick. Craig Millington snatched a try for the Saints to stem the flow but in the final minute Scott Whittle finished a great move by Wigan to score in the corner.

NEW BROUGHTON RANGERS stay third after a hard fought 30-12 win at BLACKPOOL SEA EAGLES thanks to a three try blitz just after the break. Prop Martin Wilcock opened the scoring for Blackpool in the third minute,

Mike Smith replying straight after and Luke Mellor converting. Both sides worked commendably hard for openings but the next score was not until the half hour to make it 6-6 at the interval.

A minute after it Rangers took control, centre James Wells crossing. Lee Salisbury followed him over and Mellor - who converted all three second half efforts - followed him four minutes later. Smith grabbed his second touchdown for the visitors but battling Blackpool had the final say when Brett Whitehead crossed, Andy Bacon converting.

Southern Premier
WEST LONDON SHARKS kept up pressure on the leaders with a 34-18 win at IPSWICH RHINOS.

Both sides were missing a number of regular players but that did not detract from the quality of the game, with both sides producing excellent rugby in the gruelling heat. Sharks dominated from the kick off forcing the Rhinos into a number of errors in front of their posts. Terence Puna seized on a lost ball and forced his way over, Jamie Boston converting.

Ipswich quickly recovered their composure and the first quarter of the game was very tight with few scoring opportunities until Jamie Curtis broke the Sharks line and stepped the full back to run in from 35 metre, Pete LeMarquand squaring the match at 6-all.

Sharks quickly recovered their six point lead when the re-start was knocked on into touch to give Sharks a free tackle set deep in the Rhinos half and on the kick Dan Baker won the race to a kick to touch down.

That was quickly followed by a try from Sam Wellings who forcing his over on the left for an unconverted effort. Rhinos hit back but were caught out when the Sharks broke out of their own 20 metre area, Puna and Pete Madigan combining wide on the left before passing inside for Nathan Humpreys to extend the lead to 20-6.

Pete LeMarquand found touch with the kick off and from the scrum, Adam Cook scooted and forced his way over from five metres out to keep the Rhinos in contention at the break. Ipswich dominated much of the third quarter but failed to convert pressure into to points. Sharks always looked dangerous on the break and only several desperate tackles stopped them extending their lead.

Ipswich finally broke the visitor's resolute defence when Stan Wong and Dan Kerr both made good metres down the centre before releasing James Park who went in from 30 metres to narrow the gap to two.

In the final quarter, while the Rhinos tried to keep up the pressure, they found it increasingly difficult to contain the Sharks breaks and they broke away to score late touchdowns from Rob McLean and Stephen Breeze with excellent solo efforts before Steve Forbes concluded the scoring.

HAINAULT BULLDOGS picked up their first win of the season and moved off the bottom with a 62-16 success over ELMBRIDGE EAGLES. Danny Lewis was the star of the show, posting 26 points from three tries and seven goals.

Ray Buggeri also picked up a try treble and there were touchdowns for Adam Duffy, Tom Ashton, Joe Jones, Ben Amato and Paul Marshall to make up the dozen. Dan Saxby and Rob Smedley crossed for the visitors, Doug Rodman landing two goals.

Midlands Premier
BRISTOL SONICS returned to winning ways with a comfortable 36-14 victory over BIRMINGHAM BULLDOGS at Little Stoke Park.

The Sonics were in control from start to finish but had to work hard against a determined Birmingham side that refused to give in when the going got tough. Bristol started the brighter and took the lead after six minutes when Chris Ramwell crossed for a well-worked converted try.

Further Bristol pressure ended with scrum half Joel Keen sending in John-Jo Burden, Ramwell adding his second conversion to give the hosts the best possible start. Bulldogs reduced the arrears ten minutes before half time when Danny Bancroft miraculously gathered a chip kick from Adam Walker to touch down but he could not convert and Bristol led 12-4 at the break.

The home side started the second period with real flair and aggression and soon extended their lead to 22-4. First, Keen got on the end of an impressive Burden break to score and then he combined with Ed Tofts to send Elliot Nightingale in at the corner.

Birmingham replied through the impressive Adam Walker, Bancroft converting. However, the Sonics secured the points with two tries in the space of five minutes in the final quarter. Keen grabbed his second of the afternoon then Gary Carpenter surged over.

The Bulldogs posted a consolation try through Jermaine Bernard before Bristol had the last word, Ramwell finding Matt Cain in support on the end of a long range counter-attack.

Five tries in the third quarter from DERBY CITY helped them to a 38-10 win at TELFORD RAIDERS to keep them firmly in touch at the top of the table.

Ian Gilmour, Ian Powell, James Turner, Dave Bussell and Ian Dennant all crossed with Luke Peach converting three times to ensure the Raiders remain winless at the bottom of the table. Both sides made plenty of errors but City had the firepower to capitalise on the possession they received scoring seven tries in all, Peach adding five goals.

The home side were in touch at the end of a hard fought first half, Parminder Tutt scoring an unconverted try before the break in reply to Jon Cartlidge's opener and a try from James Harris, but the post-interval surge from City which had them 38-4 ahead, secured the points. The Raiders battled hard throughout and had the last word with a late Gavin Williams try, converted by Liam Evans.

COVENTRY BEARS remain in play-off contention after a 56-20 win over GLOUCESTERSHIRE WARRIORS at Chosen Hill. Things started brightly for the Warriors with a try from Rich Carter after two minutes but three Bears tries in ten minutes from Ben Hands, Alan Robinson and Sam Montague, one converted by Richie Whitehouse, took them into a 14-4 lead.

Chris Furze grabbed a close-range effort converted by Stephan Fourie to keep the Warriors in touch but Aaron Jarvis and Stuart Lee edged the Bears further ahead with tries, Whitehouse improving one.

Fourie grabbed a score for the Warriors before the break but Barry McGuffog's try on half time gave the Coventry a handy 28-16 interval lead.

Brad Massey's touchdown for the Bears early in the second half eased them further ahead but Alex McEwan replied for the Warriors to have them just about in touch going into the final quarter.

However, two long-range tries from Matt Cooper and a fine team effort finished by Whitehouse, instigated by Cooper's offload, saw the Bears past the half century and home. Ryan Jenkins' close range effort with the last play of the game sealed a satisfying win for the visitors.

Wales
BLACKWOOD BULLDOGS maintained their 100% record and sit atop the Welsh Conference Premier as they won 24-20 at Glan-yr-Afon Park, but they were pushed all the way by an in-form CARDIFF DEMONS who are looking to secure a place in the end of season play offs.

The Demons had the perfect start with back to back tries in the first five minutes. On the back of three offside penalties, Cardiff found themselves deep in the Bulldogs half and Idris Evan's short pass put Lee Rossiter into space and he dived over for the first score.

From the kick off, the Demons made quick progress up the field and a long pass out to Andrew Bradshaw on the wing gave him the space to dive over in the corner.

Two conversions from Jon Trickey gave the visitors an early 12-0 lead. The Bulldogs then began to assert themselves and midway through the half the pressure told as, after repeated sets near the Demons line, first Trevor James crossed in one corner and minutes later Matthew McGovern scored in the other.

Just before the break Blackwood got their nose in front after a great break from halfway by Aaron Humphries who slipped three tackles to touch down between the sticks. Jeremy Lloyd added the extras to make the score 14-12 at the half way mark.

The second half was a much tighter game with both sides testing each others line. The first breakthrough came after ten minutes as Paul Bartlett took advantage of some lose defence and touched down in the corner for the Demons giving them the lead back at 16-14. Almost immediately the Bulldogs grabbed it back with some quick work up field finished off by Wes Cunnliffe who flew in at the corner.

With fifteen minutes to go, the Bulldogs conceded a number of penalties and Cardiff took full advantage as Trickey powered over to swing the game back in the Demons favour at 20-18. Five minutes from time, Blackwood sealed the win, in what was a thriller, as Gareth Hutchins broke up the middle from thirty meters out to touch down between the posts, Hutchins converting.

VALLEY COUGARS edged past a spirited NEWPORT TITANS 40-36 in a high scoring, see saw, game at Duffryn High school that almost guarantees them a place in this years play offs.

The visitors got off to a great start with two quick tries. Mark Powell picked up the first of his hat trick tries followed by skipper Adrian Owen who powered over. Carl Thomas converted one of two to give the champions a 10-0 lead.

The Titans responded with two well worked tries of their own from Kris Hawks and Jamie Westacott, the conversions from Scott Bessant edging them ahead 12-10. Newport extended their lead with a try from Daniel Espositto and the conversion from Bessant opened up an eight point gap. Cougars then raised their game and finished the half the same way they started it with another two tries. Powell picked up his second and Cougars top try scorer Daf Hillard added another to his tally.

Carl Thomas added the goals giving Valley's a 22-18 lead at half time. The Titans were first on the scoreboard after the break as Espositto added his second and Bessant's goal swung the game back towards Newport.

Cougars responded with another quick-fire brace of tries as Powell completed his hat trick followed by Stephen Gray. Again the Titans responded with tries from Bessant and Ross Bridgman to close the gap to two but a converted John Sannigar try from the Cougars put some light between the teams again. Titans picked up one more score from Craig Lloyd but the clock ran out with the Cougars picking up the two points with a narrow win.

Yorkshire Premier
KIPPAX KNIGHTS stay top on points difference after a tough 20-6 win at COTTINGHAM PHOENIX. Scrum half Mark Boswell gave them the perfect start with an early try converted by Gavin Adkins but on the tenth minute, Phoenix hit back, winger Steve Johnson crossing and Andy Robinson levelling with the extras.

Mark Boswell edged the Knights ahead in the 25th minute with a touchdown, Adkins converting and adding a penalty to make it 14-6 to the visitors at the break. The only try in a tense send period came seven minutes from time to Kippax centre Andy Tillett, Adkins adding his fourth goal.

YORK LOKOMOTIVE were convincing 48-18 winners at home to LEEDS AKKIES to maintain a play off spot. Right-sided pairing Ben Jones and Paul Cross posted early touchdowns for York, Tom Dunmore making it 18-0 in as many minutes when he crossed and landed his third goal.

John Waldron extended the lead but two tries in three minutes from wingers Jim Priestley and Rick Fenty gave a hint of an Akkies comeback. Tries a minute before and after half time, from Craig Fox and Waldron, put paid to that, Jones grabbing his second in the 47th minute.

From then on it was scrum half Waldron who stole the show, going in for hi third and fourth touchdowns in a spellbinding display. The late consolation for Leeds came from centre Junior Blandford.

MOORENDS-THORNE MARAUDERS kept the pressure on at the top with a hard earned 38-4 victory over a dogged and determined SCARBOROUGH PIRATES, thanks to four tries from Greg Mills. The final score line did not relate how close the game was, with both teams still going strong to the last in very high temperatures.

Moorends opened the scoring on five minutes with the ball flowing to Mills to go over for an unconverted try but it took until the 35th minute before either defence was breached again. Mills' support play brought him his second, converted by Ryan Rafferty, and he had a hat trick by the break when he burst onto a long ball from Mark Roach and dummied past the full back to make it 16-0 at the break.

Both sides came close in the second-half before Marauders prop Gareth Everton broke down the left wing taking the ball 50 metres before sending Paul Hopkinson over. Moorends extended their lead after a quick set saw Shaun Carver coming in on the angle to crash over next to the posts.

Mills got his fourth ten minutes from time and excellent forward play saw Steve Allen capitalise and dance over on 78 minutes, Ryan Rafferty again converting. The Pirates battled until the last minute and were rewarded with a try in the corner from Dan Sutton.