After a stalemate first half, which saw a converted try apiece, Hull Ionians came out of the changing room to accelerate into the distance, seemingly buoyed by Stephenson's try, converted by Smith, on the thirty seven minutes mark.

This came just three minutes after Hoppers full back Freeman converted his own effort, for seven points apiece at the half time whistle.

So, to the second half of the game, in a startling contrast to the first, three tries came from the Yorkshire outfit in the first five minutes. Hotchen, Rozenbroek and Metcalfe all crossed the try line, the last of these converted by Smith. Hoppers couldn't find an answer, in Browne's absence during his ten minutes in the sin bin.

Ionians further increased Preston's misery with three more tries in the ten minutes from the fifty fifth. Winger Metcalfe, clearly Hull's danger man, completing his hat trick. Smith converted the farmer's third try to take the score to 41-7 to the home side.

Grasshoppers did come back into the contest when, after a sustained period of attack, Brand broke out after a Hull knock on, putting Ben Haigh in to score and Ree converting, with the clock on seventy three minutes.

Ionians were determined to have the last word, however, with the last play of the game seeing Taylor score their eighth try and Smith adding the extra two points for the fourth time.

The early try blitz of the second half from Ionians turned the tide of the match and Hoppers were not able to recover.

Hoppers' Head Coach Dan Orwin expressed his frustration, especially by the second half performance, but accepted that, had his team converted some of their line breaks to points during the first half, things could have been very different, saying that 'too many mistakes and unforced errors cost us dearly.'

John Freeman
Picture credit: Darren Moore