WITHOUT being quite at their best York RUFC won 43-15 at Huddersfield YMCA with winger Billy Cakaunitabua scoring a hat-trick of tries.

YMCA have not earned a point this season and have recently committed to a policy of open rugby and they made their intentions clear early on by threatening York with fluid passing movements.

Only an excellent tackle by Cakaunitabua saved a certain try but eventually the pressure paid off when scrum half Mav Iosefa triggered a movement that saw left wing Matt Franks score in the corner.

Playing into the wind, York took time to find their rhythm but, after 20 minutes, they exploded with two rapidfire tries from Cakaunitabua. First, a power scrum sent their opponents 15 metres back and the ball was sped out to the winger who crossed in the corner. Then, an enterprising home move ended with an awful pass which Cakaunitabua snapped up to race 35 metres to the line for Carl Paterson to convert.

As the interval approached, York extended their lead when a clever chip kick by scrum half Graham Smith over a set scrum was gathered by Andy Kay with the defence on holiday His exotic dive for the line ranked high for artistic merit but he could have made the conversion easier for Paterson. whose kick went narrowly wide

The hosts stuck to their attacking guns and, not for the first time, found the York centre defence awry. Full-back David Rees sped through a gap, fed centre Tim Horner who, passed inside to his captain Mal Kaloamatangi for Jim Stephenson to convert

Paterson's wind assisted boot ensured York controlled the second half and York probably would have liked to have scored more than the four tries that came their way.

A big Nick Ventress kick established York on their opponents line and Paterson dummied over for a try which he duly converted. Then Kay broke from a scrum and the ball was recycled out to the right for overlapping full back Mike Westwood to go over in the corner, Paterson added the extras with an excellent kick

Next lock Brad MacDonald appeared in midfield to slip a smart overhead pass to Patterson who shot in from 35 metres taking the extras to boot

York's final score was classic simplicity with the ball passing from scrum half to wing for Cakaunitabua to notch his hat-trick but the final 15 minutes fell away as York made substitutions and failed to press home their considerable advantage.

Updated: 10:23 Monday, October 31, 2005