Disappointing End to Spirited Display

The only new face in the Kendal team was flanker Jack Walker, whilst Zane Butler was back from injury on the right wing, and Dini Noyo returning on the left.

Kendal started well, with Matty Houghton chased a James Gough kick through, forcing the Hull defender into an error to concede a scrum. No.8 James Thompson broke from the back of the scrum, but could not get a pass away to Zane Butler in support. Hull then were forced to concede a penalty, but the kick at goal was unsuccessful.

Hull came back and a long kick into the Kendal twenty two saw Kendal with a defensive lineout. This was won and the forwards drove strongly out of defence, only to be penalised for obstruction, but this time the Hull attempt at goal was not successful.

As play went on, it started to become clear that whilst the Hull pack was very well drilled, the backs seemed to lack confidence, with their main tactic being to kick the ball back to Kendal, and hope their forwards could force an error.

Kendal opened the scoring after twenty minutes. A penalty was put to touch just outside the twenty two and the Kendal pack won the ball and drove well to the line. Hull disrupted the drive illegally, but as the referee played advantage, the ball was moved from the right to the left wing, where Dini Noyo went over for an unconverted try. 5v0.

James Gough had been injured in the build up to the score and was forced off for treatment, with Nathan Wooff coming onto the wing, and Dini going to scrum half. This only lasted five minutes, in which time Hull had wasted another chance, when a penalty to touch drifted too long.

Kendal were now under pressure, conceding a string of penalties, as there appeared to be a different interpretation than last season, of how long the tackled player could retain the ball after the tackle, and what the defenders could do to attempt to steal the ball from him. Finally serial offender Jack Lashley was issued with a yellow card.

This led to the first successful kick at goal, with the Hull outside half converting the resulting penalty. 5v3.

At the next scrum Kendal were forced to bring Dom Musetti into the front row, and sacrifice James Thompson, during the sin bin period.

As time in the half ran out, the Hull pressure finally told with a try for their right wing. Again the kick failed. 5v8

The game re-started, but there was only one phase of play before half time, where Kendal stayed out on the field, but Hull returned to the changing rooms.

The tactic seemed to work better for Kendal, who almost immediately conjured a try out of nothing. After an exchange of kicks, Zane Butler gathered a long kick in his own half, passing to Chris Park, who instead of kicking set off on a run upfield, he passed to James Gough, who after making a break found Zane Butler in support, he passed to flanker Jack Walker, and then took the return pass to power down the wing and score in at the corner, for Kendal to regain the lead. 10v8

Early in the second half Kendal lost Matty Houghton to an injury, with Blake Robinson coming on to replace him.

The game was now been played mainly in the Kendal half, with the defence having to withstand wave after wave of Hull forward pressure, but the defence rarely looked in danger of being breached.

Then against the run of play Kendal scored again. After breaking out of defence, Glenn Weightman put a long kick to touch. Hull won the ball, but their backs made a mess of the move, and the ball went loose in midfield. It was hacked through, and Zane Butler went over for the try. Again no conversion, 15v8.

Four minutes later Hull went on level terms. Dini just failed in his attempt at stopping a penalty going to touch in the corner, and the Hull pack took the resulting lineout, driving powerfully infield and there was nothing the Kendal pack could do to prevent the score. The forwards work to drive towards the posts was rewarded, with the only successful conversion of the afternoon. 15v15.

With ten minutes to go neither team were settling for the draw, with it becoming a battle between the Hull muscle and Kendal ingenuity. Glenn Weightman had a let off when he was able to re-gather his own loose pass in defence, as he tried to release the back line.

With five minutes to play Jack Lashley was forced off with an injury, to be replaced by Dom Musetti.

As Kendal staretd to move the ball, Glenn Weightman made a break, and then put a kick to the line for Dini to chase, but the Hull cover just got back in time. Then his long cross field kick was lost by the Hull wing, and Dini hacked the loose ball through, but it beat him to the dead ball line.

Deep in injury time, Dini was forced into defence, having to chip a Hull kick through into touch. The Hull pack gathered the lineout, but this time Kendal disrupted their drive. The ball was moved into mid-field and with the defence sucked in, when the ball was moved back right, there was nothing Kendal could do to keep a Hull prop, loitering on the wing, from scoring. Again the conversion was missed, but it was the last action of the game.

The Hull dominance of the second half meant Kendal could have few complaints, but an excellent defensive display and some flair in attack, meant Hull would equally have had difficulty in complaining if Kendal had held on for the draw, or even the win.

So a good, if eventually disappointing start to the new campaign. The question over the next few weeks is will other teams have such beefy packs, and if they do what Kendal can do to counteract them.

KENDAL WEBSITE MAN OF THE MATCH : Zane Butler