Eagles run riot in Cumbria against Whitehaven

Mark Aston named a number of changes to his starting thirteen for the trip up to Cumbria as he was without the likes of James Glover, Vila Halafihi and Tyler Dickinson to choose from.

Matty Marsh returned into the side to start at full back, Bayley Liu moved into the centres, whilst there were also starts for Oliver Roberts and Kyle Wood in the front row.

There was also a start for Kris Welham, who was making his 400th career appearance on Sunday afternoon.

Like the Eagles, the Cumbrian side came into the contest also unbeaten after their opening two games of the season in the league after seeing off Swinton Lions and Barrow Raiders in recent weeks.

It was actually the hosts who led twice inside the opening 23 minutes as Jake Maizen crashed over in the right-hand corner to score, before Ryan King spotted a gap underneath the sticks and added a second Whitehaven score of the afternoon, after Anthony Thackeray had originally got the Eagles back into the contest after he got onto the end of Cory Aston’s low kick through the home defence.

Sheffield ensured they headed into the sheds at the break in the lead after an attack down the middle was finished off wide by Liu in the left-corner.

Aston added the extras, which put them two points ahead at the break.

The Eagles opened the scoring three minutes into the second half after Aston spotted a gap from thirty metres out, before he raced away and under the sticks to score and put Sheffield into an eight-point lead, after he converted his own try from in front of the posts.

From there, four tries inside a ten-minute spell put the Eagles a further twenty-four points ahead in Cumbria, with all four tries being converted once again by Aston.

Joel Farrell scored straight from dummy half after receiving the ball from close-range, which was followed up by a try from Marsh two minutes later after the returning Eagles full-back made a dart for the line from deep after spotting a gap in the Whitehaven defence.

Five minutes later, the ball was worked over towards the left edge which was finished off in the corner by Matty Dawson-Jones on the hour-mark, before a try was created through quick hands came straight from a scrum, which saw Marsh go over from close-range for a second score of the afternoon and his eight try of the season.

The home side added a late consolation try with ten minutes to go through Lucas Castle, which was converted by Jake Carter, but a strong second half performance from the Sheffield Eagles saw them run out as 16-42 winners.

They're back on the road next Sunday in the Betfred Championship as they face a trip to Heywood Road to take on Swinton Lions.

Whitehaven: Connell, Teare, Corkill, Evans, Maizen, J.Doran, Carter, Castle, Newton, Ainley, McCarron, Holliday, King

Interchanges: Hanneghan, Desmond-Walker, Graham, Hill

18th Man: Romeo

Tries: Maizen (10’), King (23’), Castle (70’)

Conversions: Carter (2/3)

Sheffield Eagles: Marsh, Jones-Bishop, Welham, Liu, Dawson-Jones, Aston, Thackeray, Battye, Wood, Roberts, Bower, Foster, Gwaze

Interchanges: Hodgson, Clark, Murphy, J.Farrell

18th Man: Hansen

Tries: Thackeray (19’), Liu (33’), Aston (43’), J.Farrell (53’), Marsh (55’, 63’), Dawson-Jones (60’)

Conversions: Aston (7/7)

Referee: M.Griffiths