HULL RUFC

Leicester Lions 30 Hull RUFC 15

Hull had to play 70 minutes with 14 men as they lost for the first time since early November against Leicester.

Five minutes in Lions’ Gareth Collins was sin-binned for impeding a good kick and run from James Cameron. Cameron duly stepped up and opened the scoring from 30m but ten minutes later Hull’s Alex Campbell was shown yellow too for foul play which Leicester capitalised on within a minute.

Leicester took the foul quickly and ran straight up the middle where the ball was twice recycled for Ben Walker to stretch over the last two markers to touchdown.

Fifteen minutes later Hull skipper Chris Murphy was shown a red card after an innocuous tackle was reported by the touch judge. Walker took advantage and ran in another try five minutes later before Scott Alfred made the score 19-3 at the break with his try coming from a lineout which was switched quickly to attack Hull’s lack of numbers giving him a free run from five metres.

Hull came out fighting in the second half after a catch and drive on the left wing was supported up the inside by Laurence Pearce who collected the offload to run in from ten metres. Ten minutes later Hull got back to within four points after Tevita Vaikona made a direct 30m run from the centre to the left corner where Rob Devonshire supported well to touchdown from ten metres.

Hull thought they had made a brilliant comeback two minutes later after some good movement of the ball meant a quick switching of play gave winger Danny Smith a clear run of 25m to score the try, but the pass to him was adjudged to be forward, which seemed to reinvigorate the home side after being under pressure for the whole second half.

But with ten minutes remaining the touch judge overruled the ref for two dubious penalties to Leicester which Jon Boden scored. Hull’s Matt Davies, who had only been brought on five minutes previously, suffered a serious injury to his knee with five minutes remaining and was stretchered off but Walker got his hat-trick with the last move of the game after a lineout was thrown long for Walker to collect and run 30m to the line to end a forgettable day for Hull.