Published at 10:59, Monday, 13 August 2012

Whitehaven 60 Gateshead Thunder 12: Whitehaven marched in to the Championship in emphatic style as they hit the 60-point mark for the first time this season.

Richard Varkulis

The margin of victory could have been even bigger, as they led 40-0 at the break, though with the points, and promotion, in the bag, they eased off a little after the break, with Thunder hitting back to score the two converted tries their commitment deserved.

Gateshead’s Gavin Beasley’s kick in the opening moments forced a drop-out, Jamie Rooney coolly finding touch with his drop-out to defuse the danger.

And it was a piece of Rooney-style magic that then led to Haven’s first try, Carl Rudd kicking perfectly from the scrum base 60 metres out and Craig Calvert winning the race to the line.

Centre Jessie Joe Parker proved a handful all afternoon and from his 60-metre break, Richard Varkulis touched down.

Rudd, who played smartly throughout, added the first of his eight goals then supported Paul Cullnean’s break and went under the posts.

Varkulis broke a string of tackles to score his second try before Parker again showed his class, cutting loose from deep and then dummying through to touch down.

Tom Hemingway collected Rudd’s deft chip to score his second try in four games in Haven colours, Rooney then bowing out with a slight knee problem.

Thunder forced another drop-out but lacked the guile to convert the possession in to points and instead it was Haven who kept the scoreboard ticking over.

Cullnean, who had enjoyed some powerful burst up the middle, got on the end of a Lee Doran break to round off a near-perfect opening half for Haven.

The second-half did not open anywhere near as well for the hosts, Thunder sub Olly O’Mara stretching out to score on 41 minutes.

And four minutes later they were in again, huge prop Brett Waller proving impossible to stop from close range.

Beasley added his second conversion and the scoreline was suddenly looking a little more respectable for the strugglers, whose prospects were looking up, especially with Cullnean in the sin bin for a late challenge on kicker Paul Stamp.

But their inability to keep possession close to their line proved expensive on 51 minutes. From the resulting Haven scrum, Rudd ran along the line before his delayed pass found Calvert at pace and the winger went through to score his second.

He wasted little time in completing his hat-trick, with Rudd again the provider. The scrum-half shaped to kick to the right but instead went left, Calvert taking a bobbling ball to touch down.

Parker completed a smart passing move, again launched by Rudd, to make it 54-12 with 10 minutes still on the clock.

Beasley continued to probe the home defence, with Loz Hamzat tackled behind his line after fielding one of his dangerous kicks.

Haven’s defence then did well to stop a charging Waller from grounding the ball over their line.

Doran got his just reward for another solid personal effort on 77 minutes. The defence held off as he charged for the line on an angled run, waiting for a pass that never came, the loose-forward going between the sticks.

Rudd’s conversion brought up the 60-mark and the Haven faithful went home happy, with promotion guaranteed with two games to spare.

Whitehaven: Palfrey, Calvert, Wiper, Parker, Hamzat, Rooney, Rudd, Houghton, Hemingway, Cullnean, Varkulis, Wilson, Doran. Subs: Sice, Crellin, Beattie, Haggerty

Tries: Calvert 3, Varkulis 2, Rudd, Parker 2, Hemingway, Cullnean, Doran; Goals: Rudd 8

Gateshead Thunder: Condron, Thackeray, Nielson, Brow, Stoker, Beasley, Stamp, McBride, Hodgson, Walton, Cash, Payne, Barron. Subs: Waller, Walsh, OMara, Smith

Tries: O’Mara, Waller

Goals: Beasley 2

Referee: Tom Crashley

Attendance: 733

Star man: Carl Rudd

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