MATCH REPORT: London Broncos 14-64 Hull KR
LONDON BRONCOS V HULL KR (by David Ballheimer)
London Broncos (0) 14, Hull KR (46) 64
London Broncos suffered a first-half mauling at the hands of Hull Kingston Rovers, but they showed great resilience and heart in the second period. Rovers were, quite simply, in a different class and, in half-back Mikey Lewis, the Robins are blessed with a player around whom the national team can build. The Broncos have been hit, all too often, by fast-starting teams, but this was exceptional, Hull KR running in five tries and 28 points in the first 18 minutes and 18 in the last seven minutes of the half.
Rovers struck with their second possession, when, on a final tackle play, Tyrone May passed the ball out to Niall Evalds who sent Jack Broadbent over in the right corner. Mikey Lewis, on the right-side for a left-footed kicker split the uprights. From the restart, Hull moved downfield and after an attempted interception failed, Evalds combined with Broadbent, who touched down even closer to the corner post. The extra metre of width made all the difference as Lewis’s conversion struck the outside of near upright.
The Broncos committed the cardinal sin of kicking the restart too long and Lewis found touch inside the London 20. From there, four tackles later, Peta Hiku stepped through a couple of tackles to dive over the line, making Lewis’s conversion automatic. Lewis’s leg might have been getting tired in the 14th minute because he had his fourth kick in seven minutes (third successful) after Evalds, Hiku and Broadbent had combined to give Evalds a try under the crossbar.
Hull KR were rampant. Although Lewis did have to kick away on the last tackle of the next possession, there was some poor tackling when London kicked deep. Lewis ran through a hole, had Matt Parcell at his shoulder and the hooker ran between the uprights.
It took 25 minutes for the Broncos to final get some pressure on the Rovers line. Unfortunately, a forward pass ended the attack just outside the 10-metre line.
In the 33rd minute, Rovers got their sixth try, Dean Hadley seeing another hole in London’s defensive line and he made it easy for Lewis to convert. From the resumption, Rovers again went all the way downfield and when Lewis’s chip over the top deceived both him and the covering Oli Leyland, Evalds put his hand on the stationary ball under the bar. And there was still time before the hooter for Sam Luckley to smash off a tackle from the injured Ethan Natoli before diving over the line. As Lewis lined up the kick, Natoli was helped from the field.
London started the second half well and got on the board before a tackle had been completed. The kick-off was knocked on by Rovers, who were then offside at the resulting scrum. Another scrum was formed and, from it, Leyland passed to Alex Walker, who celebrated his 200th professional match with a score, one which Leyland couldn’t improve.
Normal service was resumed with Luckley scoring his second try, another last-tackle burst, but it was the irrepressible Lewis who was at the heart of the possession with a 30-metre dart and lay-off in the tackle. The point-a-minute rate continued when Lewis crossed for Rovers’ 10th try after 57 minutes, James Batchelor passing inside rather than out where Ryan Hall was charging in support.
In the 62nd minute, Leyland tried a grubber kick behind the Hull KR defensive line, but the bounce was unkind and the ball rolled dead in goal. For once, Rovers could not make their seven-tackle set count.
The Broncos scored their second try of the afternoon in the 67th minute when Iliess Macani touched down in the left corner, but it was too far out for Leyland to add the extras. In reply, Rovers got a seven-tackle set when a Leyland kick rolled dead and Lewis completed his double.
To their credit, the Broncos continued to try to play attacking rugby in possession and they got their reward when Jarred Bassett scored and Leyland added a magnificent conversion from touch. Bassett then nearly scored again chasing a kick but the video referee ruled no try and no penalty either.
London Broncos: 1 Alex Walker, 2, Lee Kershaw, 21 Robbie Storey, 3 Jarred Bassett, 20 Oli Leyland, 4 Hakim Miloudi, 19 Rhys Kennedy, 34 Ugo Tison, 17 Sid Adebiyi, 11 Will Lovell, 12 Ethan Natoli, 15 Marcus Stock. Replacements: 8 Rob Butler, Sam Davis, 10 Lewis Bienik, 29 Jacob Jones. 18th man: 16 Josh Rourke.
Tries: Walker (42), Macani (67), Bassett (76).
Goals: O Leyland 1/3.
Drop-goals: None.
Hull KR: 2 Niall Evalds, 36 Jack Broadbent, 1 Peta Hiku, 12 James Batchelor, 5 Ryan Hall, 27 Tyrone May, 7 Mikey Lewis, 8 Sauaso Sue, 14 Matt Parcell, 16 Jai Whitbread, 20 Kelepi Tanginoa, 11 Dean Hadley, 13 Elliot Minchella. Replacements: 10 George King, 15 Sam Luckley, 17 Matty Storton, 38 Danny Richardson. 18th man: 37 Jack Brown.
Tries: Broadbent (5, 8), Hiku (11), Evalds (13, 36), Parcell (17), Hadley (33), Luckley (38, 49), Lewis (57, 71).
Goals: Lewis 9/10; Richardson 1/1.
Drop-goal: None.
Referee: Ben Thaler.
HT: 0–46.
Penalty awarded count: 5–4.
Attendance: TBA
