Manoa Wacokecoke scored a hat-trick to help Hull FC Academy onto a comprehensive 60-12 victory over London Broncos Under 18s at the University of Hull this afternoon.
Despite running in four first-half tries through Wacokecoke, Mackenzie Harman, Junior Mafi and Keiran Masike, the game was still finely balanced at the interval thanks to a pair of tries from the visitors.
But the Black & Whites peeled away in spectacular fashion during the second half, crossing for a total of seven tries in the final 40 minutes, with Wacokecoke sealing his hat-trick, Nick Staveley claiming a brace and Charlie Severs, Denive Balmforth and Lennon Bursell all getting in on the scoring act.
The Match
Hull started the match on the back foot, though, and Tommy Porter took advantage of some sloppy defending to dive over from dummy half, drawing first blood for the Broncos.
Harman pulled Hull level just a couple of minutes later, thanks to a smart offload from Matty Laidlaw in close proximity to the whitewash.
A professional foul from London’s Jensen Monk drew the first sin-bin of the game and Hull were able to capitalise on the numerical advantage with immediate effect. Mafi feigned the pass to his left before an opening in the defensive line allowed the Fijian forward to power through the gap and score.
Although the impetus was now with the Black & Whites, the capital outfit landed a second blow to Michael Shenton’s side when Jenson Binks’ looping pass wide was collected by Charles Walker, who scored in the right corner.
Wacokecoke opened his account for the afternoon just three minutes prior to the interval, setting the standard for a dominant, strong individual performance as he bulldozed his way over the try line in the left corner.
But Hull weren’t finished there before the referee’s whistle blew for the interval. A fourth try was scored by a back, but it was well and truly made by a forward. Zach Jebson’s impressive break down the middle of the field may not have yielded a score for the second-rower, but Masike was on hand to dot down in the left corner after a quick play-the-ball.
HALF-TIME: Hull 22-12 Broncos
The hosts didn’t let the break knock them out of their rhythm at the start of the second half and the crucial early try which started to erode London’s spirit was scored by Wacokecoke. It was a lovely move out of a scrum – Masike’s pass giving the Fijian outside back the chance to score in the left corner.
Evidently, that try well and truly knocked the wind out of London’s sails as Hull went on to score three more within the space of four minutes.
Balmforth found Staveley with a lovely short pass for the powerful forward to break the line and score under the sticks, before the former demonstrated his running ability with the ball, throwing a dummy and putting his toe down to score from 60 metres out.
The try of the afternoon was scored by Severs, though. The back-rower made a solid line-break inside his own half before dummying past the fullback and racing away to finish off a sensational move.
Bursell’s crash play underneath the uprights made it 48-12 with just over an hour played, but Hull were in no mood to let up with just under a quarter of the game remaining.
Staveley got Hull’s tenth try of the afternoon, despite the Broncos’ best efforts to hold him up in goal, before Wacokecoke rubber stamped the comprehensive win by securing his hat-trick try, snaking out an arm to plant the ball down.
FULL-TIME: Hull 60-12 Broncos
Squads & Scorers
Hull: Opie-Palmer, Wacokecoke, Masike, Sheriff, Shaw, Harman, Medforth, Laidlaw, Balmforth, Mafi, Jebson, Severs, Armstrong
Hull Interchanges: Bursell, Dulson, Staveley, Yeaman
Hull Tries: Harman, Mafi, Wacokecoke (3), Masike, Staveley (2), Severs, Balmforth, Bursell
Hull Goals: Harman (2/2), Medforth (6/9)
Broncos: Sestak, Svanidze, Hunter, Saunders, Walker, Binks, Crozier, Monk, Porter, Winney, Stevens, Parke, Birch
Broncos Interchanges: Evans, Kirwan, Nyamuzinga, Osmond.
Broncos Tries: Porter, Walker
Broncos Goals: Crozier (2/2)
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