Wheelchair Roundup vs North Wales
20/04/2023
North Wales Crusaders 92 – 4 Sheffield Eagles
Sunday 16th April, 1.45pm KO, Deeside Leisure Centre
Betfred Wheelchair Championship
Sheffield Eagles took the positives from a trip to North Wales in the Wheelchair Championship where on the field the Crusaders, made up primarily of a team of World Cup semi-finalist Wales internationals, showed their quality but were never allowed everything their own way by the plucky Eagles.
It took until the seven minutes into the second half for Chris Haynes to get the Eagles off the mark with Sheffield’s sole try of the afternoon, collecting Lottie Davis-Browne’s short pass to scorch down the wing to score in the right hand corner. David Butler couldn’t improve the conversion, but it was a try built on team play and a just reward for the red and gold who’d shown blitz spirt throughout the game.
Crusaders had run up a 36-0 lead at the break, with Ricki Davis scoring a first half hat trick, the first of which was converted by Mason Baker, with Harry Jones adding a try and Stepehen Halsey a brace, with Halsey adding five on target conversions, but the run of scoring was disrupted by the Eagles forced several errors and frustrated the home side who it appeared had expected to have everything their own way, with Joe Wink-Simmonds showing a never say die attitude and Lottie Davis-Browne scrambling in defence on the wing.
Jones opened the second half’s scoring for the home side, before Baker crossed again, Halsey converted the former before the Crusaders found themselves underneath their posts after Haynes’ break away.
Emma Pearson’s return to the field saw her show typical Sheffield steel whilst Will Brooks tested the Crusaders’ right edge with several breaks which provide threatening, but a quick-fire hat trick from popular Wales captain Stuart Williams saw North Wales accelerate away before Jonathan Gill got his name on the scoresheet with a brace, before Halsey, Jones and Jakub Wasieczk completed the scoring.
North Wales Crusaders;
Stuart Williams, Mason Baker, Ricki Davies, Harry Jones, Jonathan Gill. Interchanges: Stephen Halsey, Jakub Wasieczk
Tries: Ricki Davis (3, 13, 18, 45), Harry Jones (24, 41, 73), Stephen Halsey (36, 39, 71), Stuart Williams (52, 59, 63), Jonathan Gill (65, 69), Jakub Wasieczk (79)?
Goals: Mason Baker 2/2, Stephen Halsey 13/14
Sheffield Eagles?
Chris Haynes, Joe Wink-Simmonds, David Butler, Emma Pearson, Ben Simpson. Interchanges: Lottie Davis-Browne, Jack Johnson, Vicky Brooks, April Brooks, Will Brooks.
Tries: Chris Haynes (47)
Goals: David Butler 0/1
Referees: Kim Abel / Richard Turner
North Wales Crusaders A 64 – 0 Sheffield Eagles A
Sunday 16th April, 3.45pm KO, Deeside Leisure Centre
Wheelchair North Division
Sheffield Eagles A’s debut in the North Division ended in defeat, but again the team took the positives, the main being that with two teams in existence, more players at the club get more game time to continue the improvement.
Inexplicably, Wales international Stephen Halsey started the game for Crusaders, having played a major role in the first team game and was instrumental in John Doyle’s early game hat trick as well as scoring a try of his own which was sandwiched by scores from Leo McCabe before he was withdrawn. Martin Turner, Fionn McCabe and Jakub Wasieczko added further scores to make it 38-0 at the break.
With Eagles newcomers Ian Pride, Stuart Wilkinson in the thick of it alongside Vicky Brooks, returning from injury, and 2022’s Player’s Player Of The Year Jack Johnson, showing that Wheelchair Rugby League is indeed a sport that anyone can play, the Red & Golds got stuck in offensively but were unable to convert field position to points.
The second half saw Crusaders rotate through their players, with both sides demonstrating the future of the game fielding youngsters, with Will and April Brooks impressing for the Eagles, keeping the Crusaders to a lower second half points haul, with Jessica Booth adding a hat-trick, Wyatt Jones adding a try and Turner and Wasieczko adding a brace and a further try respectively to round out the win.
North Wales Crusaders
Stephen Halsey, Wyatt Jones, Martin Turner, John Doyle, Leo McCabe. Interchanges: Alan Lawrinson, Hayley Matthews, Jessica Booth, Carl Diaper, Lewis Barry Lawrinson, Jakub Wasieczko, Martin Turner, Fionn McCabe, Matthew Turner.
Tries: John Doyle (4, 15, 19), Leo McCabe (5, 13), Stephen Halsey (10), Martin Turner (27, 70, 73) Wyatt Jones (59), Fionn McCabe (36), Jakub Wasieczko (38, 50), Jessica Booth (46, 48, 53)
Goals: Wyatt Jones 0/9, John Doyle 0/3, Hayley Matthews 0/1, Martin Turner 2/3
Sheffield Eagles
Jack Johnson, Stuart Wilkinson, Vicky Brooks, Stacey Roulson, Shaun Orton. Interchanges: Lottie Davis-Browne, Lisa Kelly-Pride, Ian Pride, April Brooks, Will Brooks
Referees: Richard Turner / Kim Abel
