Hornets Turn Up The Heat

Gateshead Thunder 4 - Hornets 46

With the sun beating down on a lush Filtrona Park, it was an afternoon for the factor 50. But Hornets fell teasingly short of their own half century in a clinical performance that's really put a light under Kingstone Press Championship 1.

Keen to avoid the points landslide of last week, Gateshead started with real purpose: determined to play the game under Hornets posts. While they pressured and probed, they couldn't find the pass or kick to unlock a stern defence.

Having soaked up the early pressure, Hornets marched slickly downfield where Steve Roper found Wayne English arriving on a weaving run that took him clear to open the scoring after quarter of an hour.

It was now Hornets' turn to set up camp in the Gateshead 10m zone and when John Cookson was the recipient of Chris Hough's pass on a 'double prop' rushing move he proved too strong, crashing in by the posts. Crook with two from two. 12-nil after 18 minutes.

Hornets line-up an attack at sunny Filtrona Park

Gateshead responded well, regaining possession in the Hornets half off a lofted kick, but when Latus coughed possession Hornets reacted fastest: Steve Roper's break to halfway, a quick play the ball and Wayne English making the extra man to send Adam Swift in out wide. Crook lethal with boot for 18-nil

With Gateshead struggling to regain their shape after lynchpin halfback Hardcastle was carried from the field after a second crunching injury in as many miniutes, Hornets ended the half applying more pressure to a beleaguered home defence.

With the hooter immimnent, Dom Speakman punished Thunder's napping markers to land a sucker-punch try from acting half. The extras a formality from Crook and Hornets ahead at the break by a comfortable 24-nil.

It took less then five minutes of the second-half for Hornets to carry on where they'd left off. Dom Speakman's break, Wayne English in support and a snake-hipped, curving run took him clear for his second try of the afternoon. Crooky good for the two. 30-nil.

The noisy travelling support didn't have to wait long for the next score. Hornets driving Thunder back upfield, the ball knocked out in the tackle, Gaz Langley with the presence of mind to chip the loose ball into space, snaffle a perfect bounce and scoot away to score. Fantastic improvisation. Crooky with the two. 36-nil.

Just before the hour, Mike Ratu got his reward for an afternoon spent terrorising the Gateshead defence. Setting off on another bulldozing run, he skittled defenders to score from 30 metres.  Crooky just wide with the kick, the Hornets fans jokingly calling for Gaz Langley to be reinstated as kicker.

Crooky was more certain with his next effort in the 67th minute - converting an opportunist Dayne Donoghue try after a grubber ricocheted off a post to cause chaos in the Thunder in-goal. 

At 46-nil with 10 minutes remaining, the (factor) fifty looked inevitable. But wait…

With Gateshead seemingly going nowhere, Heil skipped through a couple of tackles and showed an impressive turn of pace to dash in from 60 metres for Thunder's only points.

Hornets response was immediate. A series of fast play the balls took them upfield where a flat Steve Roper pass appeared to have sent Wayne English somersaulting in for his hat-trick, only for referee Mr Brooke to rule it forward.

But it'd be churlish to complain too much. Hornets were ruthless, well-organised, convincing winners. And with Big Spending North Wales Crusaders™ going down by 18-10 at Hemel, the heat is really on in the 2013 promotion chase.

Hornets Victory Song at Gateshead

Yes  - we ARE ready ready!

Sunday's Coming - Gateshead Thunder

And so, Hornets ongoing odyssey takes us all up to Gateshead. Well, South Shields, actually. The game will take place at the fantastic Filtrona Park home of South Shields FC - a stunning, verdant swath of Geordie pasture perfectly prescribed for summer sport (we like it).

Filtrona Park - looking verdant earlier today

With a solitary win to their name in 2013, coach Kevin Neighbour must be wondering just what Gateshead have to do to grab another - especially as his side's return to this lush crucible of endeavour was more Billy Smart than Billy Boston.

An astonishing game at Filtrona last week saw London Skolars snatch a narrow win, edging out the home side in a 107-point thriller by a quite staggering 55-52. And if that doesn't boggle your mind enough, Gateshead were 20 points up late in the first half.

Thunder got on an early roll with 5 tries in 15 minutes to give them a 34-18 half-time lead. But us Hornets know only too well about second-half turnrounds and shipping four unanswered tries in the third quarter took the momentum  - and ultimately the game - Skolars' way.

Neighbour was concise in his assessment: "Our Defence was awful… you don't deserve to beat anybody if you give them 55 points". Unless of course, you score 56.

Like all good coaches, Neighbour knows where the buck stops: "I won't take any responsibility for this," he said. " The lads didn't do what I asked… they are not kids any more and they need to stand up as men." Teflon-coated: nice work.

What is clear is that Gateshead's partnership with Hull KR does seem to have improved their ability to compete (the previous week they went down by just five points at Oxford). Indeed, over the seven games so far, their -83 averages at an 11.8 point losing margin: right in the Bonus Point Zone: so it's hardly surprising that they have more bonus points (four)  than anyone else in the division

Hornets have yet to concede a point at Filtrona park, winning last years fixture by 38 to nil, Paul Crook weighing in with a try and five goals, but buoyed by last weekend's frankly barking points-fest - Gateshead are averaging a 'for' of around 23 points a game, so they clearly know where the goal-line is. So no room for complacency.

Route Planner has it at 134 miles, in around two and a quarter hours - so a mere hop compared to last week. So let's get up there in numbers, make some noise and cheer the lads on.

Quickest route is:

M62 to junction 29, take the M1 N - it merges with A1(M)
Continue on A1(M) following signs for Darlington/Newcastle
Just after Washington Services, keep right to continue on A194(M), follow signs for South Shields
At the roundabout, take the 2nd exit onto Leam Lane/A194
Follow A194 through 3 roundabouts
Turn left onto Shaftesbury Ave (there's a Tesco, McDonalds and a car wash on your left)
The Mariners Club/Filtrona Park is half a mile on the right.

Preview Update
From the RFL:

Gateshead Thunder v Rochdale Hornets 

Craig Borthwick is doubtful for Gateshead Thunder, while Luke Hardcastle is facing up to three weeks on the sidelines with a knee problem.

Thunder coach Kevin Neighbour is aiming for big improvements after last week’s 55-52 reverse against London Skolars.

Neighbour said: “We can’t afford to score 52 points and get beat – it’s suicide. Defence is the key this week.

“We had a pretty tough session on Tuesday and we were very honest.”

He added: “Rochdale are a good, experienced side and we’ll have to be tough if we want to get anything out of Sunday’s game.”

Wayne English, Mike Ratu and Dayne Donoghue all missed Rochdale Hornets’ Tuesday training session, but coach Ian Talbot is hopeful all three will be fit.

Danny Davies is also back in contention, but Alex McClurg and Alex Trumper are definitely out.

Talbot said: “We’re only playing for 40, 50 or 60 minutes at the moment. We need to get a level of consistency in our performances across the full 80 minutes.”