Superb second-half display sees Wolves Academy win at Castleford

A superb second-half display from the Warrington Wolves Academy, which saw them score 40 unanswered points, enabled them to turn around a halftime deficit and claim a convincing 12-46 win over Castleford Tigers at Lock Lane ARLFC.

The young Wolves opened the scoring after thirteen minutes when a ‘six again’ paid off as pressure told when full back Cai Taylor-Wray was held just short and centre Zac Bardsley-Rowe went from dummy half and forced his way over wide out on the left. Winger Noah Booth converted but then just before the half hour mark ‘back to back’ penalties for Castleford put them inside the Wolves twenty metre line and a bullet pass from stand off Jack Green put centre Hugo Nikhata through a gap to score at the right of the posts. Second row Alfie Dean added the conversion.

Four minutes before the break the Tigers went ahead when full back Fletcher Rooney linked into the line and he managed to brush of an attempted tackle to score at the side of the posts. Dean converted to give his side a 12-6 half time lead.
Nine minutes onto the second half the Wolves forced an error deep in the Castleford half and quick passing from stand off Pat Irwin and Taylor-Wray saw the ball reach Bardsley-Rowe and he powered over two defenders to score on the left. Booth converted to level matters and then seven minutes later Taylor-Wray once again linked into the line and his long ball found Booth who acrobatically managed to squeeze over in the left corner.

Just before the hour the Tigers were temporarily reduced to twelve men when Rooney was sin binned for holding down and from the resulting penalty prop forward Joe Bajer’s pass found loose forward Lucas Green and he bounced off three defenders to score at the side of the posts. Booth converted and then straight from the restart the Wolves got to the halfway line where a great ball from second row Nolan Tupaea sent Booth down the left wing and he managed to keep in the field of play and found Taylor-Wray in support to race over under the posts.

The Wolves were now rampant and they scored again in the next set from the restart as they moved the length of the field before prop forward Logan Raughter crashed onto a ball from second row Sam Marshall to score on the left. Booth converted and then Tupaea was held just short and from a quick play the ball Bardsley-Rowe found substitute Tom McKinney at speed to power over on the left. Booth added the conversion.
Once again from the restart the Wolves flung the ball out and stand off Pat Irwin and Taylor-Wray combined to send Bardsley-Rowe away and he broke through the line and raced fifty metres to score under the posts and complete a fine hat trick. Booth converted to make the final score 46-12 to the young Wolves.

After the game Wolves Academy Head Coach Danny Evans said, “I was very pleased with our defensive effort yesterday; we needed to fix some things up from last time and I thought we did that a lot better today. We played a very spirited Castleford team and trailed at the break 12-6; we talked about character at the break and the lads certainly answered that winning the second half 40-0. I thought our effort throughout the game was very good but the way we executed the game plan after the break was a lot better and that was really pleasing.”

TIGERS
Fletcher Rooney, Daniel Sarbah, Hugo Nikhata, Jacob Hall, Will Charlesworth, Jack Green, Alfie Horwell, Woody Walker, Taylor Baddeley, Mike Sowden, Sam Darley, Alfie Dean, Harry Maule.
Subs: David Benson, Isaac Hirsch, Alfie Hawkhead, Leo Evans, Alfie Mitchell (18th Man)

Tries
Bardsley-Rowe (13 mins, 49, 72), Booth (56), Green (60), Taylor-Wray (62), Raughter (65), McKinney (69).
Goals
Booth 7 from 8