Jace Van Dijk made his comeback for Celtic Crusaders on Sunday as they leapt into second place when they beat Halifax RLFC 38-28 in a cracker at The Shay.

The Welsh side’s influential skipper was injured on May 31st at the Brewery Field against Batley Bulldogs when an over the top challenge from Danny Maun broke his jaw in three places.

With plates in both sides of his mouth, he has since been convalescing in his native Queensland and has missed the last nine games.

He wasn’t expected to make a comeback until next Saturday’s crucial last game of the regular season against league leaders Salford City Reds at the Brewery Field and it was a big surprise to many to see him on the team sheet for the clash against second placed ‘Fax.

Just points difference separated the sides before the start of the game, 10 in favour of the hosts, and Van Dijk was one of a team of stars for the Welsh as they gained a hard-fought win.

Jace, who came on as substitute in the 24th minute said: “I thought it went alright. It was good to sit on the sidelines for the first 25 minutes and watch the pace get out of the game a bit. I thought I was a bit off in defence but other than that, it was pretty good.

“It was nice to actually play again. It’s been 11 weeks since the Batley game so it’s good to get some mileage under my legs before the play-offs.”

Van Dijk is now looking forward to testing himself against the league leaders next Saturday.

“It should be a good game against Salford next week,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to it and hopefully we can do well against them before the play-offs start.”

The match, second versus third before the weekend, was always going to be tight.

The first chance came for Halifax on six minutes when Ben Black attempted to feed a pass to David Wrench but it was a little too far behind him, it was fumbled and the chance was wasted.

Not so for the Crusaders.

Full back Miles Greenwood fumbled a Damien Quinn bomb close to his own line and from the scrum, the Welsh side opened the scoring.

Mark Dalle Cort was stopped short after being fed by Gareth Dean and from the next play Anthony Blackwood, who always enjoys scoring against his former sides, leaped over from dummy half. His fellow Welsh international Mark Lennon converted to put the score on 0-6.

Halifax levelled things on 20 minutes when Frank Watene, a thorn in the Crusaders side since his appearances for Dewsbury in Crusaders’ first season in 2006, went in under the sticks. Graham Holroyd added the extras.

Crusaders regained the lead straight away after Lennon kicked a penalty goal given for holding down in the tackle.

They followed that up immediately with a Neil Budworth try from short range that Josh Hannay failed to convert.

Once again Halifax got back into the game when Welsh international Sean Penkywicz did well to miraculously leap onto his own grubber kick. Holroyd’s kick levelled things at 12-12.

But Hannay made no mistake just before the half-time hooter as he successfully

converted a penalty given in front of the sticks, again given for holding down.

David Tangata-Toa was close to a try just before the interval but was stopped short giving Crusaders a two-point lead as they went into the dressing rooms.

Like in the first half, Halifax opened on the offensive and again they failed to capitalise. Paul Smith brilliantly broke through but wasted the chance as he randomly released the ball which Hannay joyfully picked up.

Halifax kept attacking but Crusaders continued to do well to keep them from crossing the line. Jordan James and Terry Martin especially solid in the backline with Darren Mapp performing a try-saving tackle on Shad Royston to prevent him from scoring.

Martin was brilliant at the other end as well, picking up Lennon’s quick flick to storm through the Halifax back-line for Crusaders’ third try on 55 minutes. Lennon converted again to give them an eight-point lead.

No sooner did Crusaders kick off did Martin go over again. This time, Van Dijk was the provider and the loose forward was once more too quick for his markers. Lennon kicked the goal from in front of the sticks and Crusaders had a 14-point lead.

Following a further Crusaders chance that didn’t come to fruition, Halifax struck back as Ben Black, on 66 minutes, made a powerful run to the line.

And the game was well and truly on four minutes later when former Wales skipper Damian Gibson got onto the end of a hopeful Miles Greenwood pass to score in the corner. Holroyd converted to reduce the deficit to four points.

Crusaders looked to have sealed the game from kick-off when Van Dijk capped an excellent comeback game by setting up his stand-in skipper Darren Mapp to run through the defence like a knife through butter. Hannay converted.

However Fax regained the ball straight away and Penkywicz went over for his second with Holroyd converting, but when Mapp forced his way over for a brace of his own just before the hooter, the points were safe.

Crusaders now only need to gain a draw against fellow future Super League side Salford City Reds at the Brewery Field next Saturday to secure second place in Co-operative National League One and a bye in the first round of the play-offs. Halifax also have a tough game next week when they travel to Featherstone Rovers.

Halifax: Miles Greenwood, Lee Paterson, Jon Goddard, James Haley, Damian Gibson, Graham Holroyd, Ben Black, David Wrench, Mark Gleeson, Danny Heaton, Mark Flanagan, Paul Smith, Shad Royston. Subs: Sean Penkywicz, Joe Walsh, Richard Varkulis, Frank Watene.
Tries: Watene (20), Penkywicz (34, 77), Black (66), Gibson (70)
Goals: Holroyd 4/5

Crusaders: Tony Duggan, Luke Dyer, Josh Hannay, Mark Dalle Cort, Anthony Blackwood, Damien Quinn, Mark Lennon, Jordan James, Neil Budworth, Gareth Dean, Chris Beasley, Darren Mapp, Terry Martin. Subs: Aaron Summers, Jace Van Dijk, Geraint Davies, David Tangata-Toa. 
Tries: Blackwood (13), Budworth (28), Martin (55, 58), Mapp (74, 80)
Goals: Lennon 4/4, Hannay 3/4

Referee: Gareth Hewer (Whitehaven)
Half-time: 12-14

article by Ian Golden
17 August 2008