Preston Grasshoppers 48 Billingham 22: A ‘special’ second half showing is hailed by Orwin
A stunning second-half performance saw Preston Grasshoppers overturn an eight-point deficit, to “nil” Billingham after the break and rack up seven tries in all with some breathtaking rugby.
A delighted head coach Dan Orwin said : “We were poor in the first half, when Billingham did a job on us, but the second half was something special.”
Hoppers suffered badly at the hands of referee James Walker to start with, conceding eight penalties to two by half-time.
But Orwin confirmed his half-time message: “We said we had to take the referee out of the game, had to be more disciplined and improve our focus.
“There was a momentum shift quite early in the second half and I backed us to attack Billingham all day long.
“There was a lack of work rate at times in the first half but I was very happy with the character we showed afterwards.”
Following a ceremonial Remembrance Weekend wreath-laying and Last Post, Billingham were much quicker into the game and dominated possession for much of the half.
They scored early unconverted tries through hooker Ewan Lydiatt and scrum-half Jamie Lane, the second while Hoppers winger Jacob Browne was in the sin-bin after a spate of penalties against the hosts.
Hoppers hit back with a trademark line-out-drive touchdown by Harry Holden, converted by Greg Smith, but the visitors replied immediately through winger Joe Scarborough and flanker Tom Campbell, the second converted by Jobe Roxby.
Browne rounded off a strong attack sparked by Sammy Russell for a try converted by Smith to make it 14-22 at the break.
The home fans were a little shell-shocked but few could have dared dream of the transformation in the second half.
Hoppers added 34 unanswered points, with some spectacular long-range tries, finished by Russell, Harvey May, Browne and impressively fast debutant Jensen Hamilton, plus Holden’s 14th close-range effort of the campaign.
Smith kicked a penalty and three more conversions, hitting the post with another effort, and an increasingly rattled Billingham conceded 10 second-half penalties – a couple of them for backchat – and picked up two yellow cards.
It was almost the complete performance by Hoppers after half-time, marred only, perhaps, by the recurrence of their familiar line-out failings when in strong positions.
The display gave Orwin a nice sort of headache. “There is a lot of competition for places now,” he said.
It moved Hoppers level on points in National League Two North with fifth-placed Wharfedale… whom they happen to visit next Saturday.