Game Two of the Dacia Magic Weekend saw an intriguing match up between high-flying Hull FC who were eying up a chance to leapfrog Castleford into top spot while Saints were out to impress new coach Justin Holbrook who was in the stadium but not running the side.
Hull made a number of changes, but Saints just one, from the sides who had very mixed fortunes in last weekends Challenge Cup. Hull were devastating in their 62-0 win over the Catalans Dragons and were clear favourites for a win today over a Saints side who were thrashed 53-10 by Castleford Tigers.
The atmosphere was building as more supporters left the bars and took to the stands.
It was Saints who started the game as though they were the ones brimming with confidence and went close on a couple of occasions and they took the lead on fifteen when Alex Walmsley made the most of a Hull forward pass when he took a James Roby pass to crash over under the sticks over the top of the Hull defence. Mark Percival added the extra two.
Two minutes later and Ryan Morgan added Saints second when he caught a Matty Smith cross field kick to drop over the line. Percival added the extras and at 12-0 it was Saints who looked like the side with a chance to go top, not the Airlie Birds.
On twenty-two it was Saints try number three when Morgan Knowles picked up a fumbled Smith high ball to juggle and regain possession before going over. Percival was again accurate with the boot for 18-0 and FC didn’t know what had hit them.
Matty Smith kicked a fifteen metre on-pointer with thirty seconds left on the clock to send his side into the interval at 19-0 a reflection of the way that they had dominated the opening forty minutes.
The second half was five minutes old when Walmsley went over on his back from two metres and stretched to ground under the sticks off a Tommy Lee pass. Percival kicked the simple conversion for 25-0 and it was looking all over for the Black and Whites.
A fifty-fourth minute Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook try, ducking under the high Carlos Tuimavave tackle, was Saints fifth of the afternoon and it was turning into a rout of a Hull side who ran red hot last weekend. Percival slid the ball wide of the uprights but at 29-0 there was no way back for a very below par FC.
A solo Tommy Makinson try on sixty-one re-inforced their superiority in the game. He collected an FC kick two metres from his own goal line and went the length of the field, weaving through a broken Hull defence to go over under the sticks. Percival goaled for 35-0.
Regan Grace grabbed Saints seventh try of the afternoon when he grounded the ball one-handed in the left corner off a Percival back-handed pass, despite the attentions of the FC defence. Percival kicked brilliantly from the touchline.
Grace got his second on seventy-seven as he outpaced a tiring FC defence, stepping twice past confised FC defenders to ground in the corner. Percival couldn’t add the extra two points but at 45-0 the Saints were more than happy with a fantastic afternoon at the office.
No-one would have expected this before the kick-off. It was a Saints masterclass as they found a desire and a belief which has been lacking for most of their season. Hull FC had no answer, they were outplayed in every department and no one will be more shocked at the way they capitualted than the players and coaching staff.
Super Saints, under their coach, may be on their was back.
FC: Shaul, Michaels, Tuimavave, Turgut, Griffin, Kelly, Sneyd, Taylor, Houghton, Watts, Manu, Minichiello, Watts. Subs: Fash, Bowden, Thompson, Washbrook.
Saints: Makinson (T), Swift, Percival (6G), Morgan (T), Grace (2T), Fages, Smith (DG), Walmsley (2T), Roby, Amor, Taia, Wilkin, Knowles (T). Subs: Dougles, Thompson, Lee, McCarthy-Scarsbrook (T).
Referee: Robert Hicks.
Half-Time: 0-19.
Full-Time: 0-45.
Attendance: .
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