Brace of tries saw tie turn in visitors’ favour
OLD CROSSLEYANS ..... 19 ROCHDALE ..................... 38
ROCHDALE travelled over to Halifax to play their long-standing and nearest neighbours in the league and returned home with the points in the bag.
On a bright, dry day with good underfoot conditions – considering the volume of recent rain – Rochdale kicked off. This was a canny decision by the home team as the visitors would play with the low sun in their eyes during the first half.
Rochdale were immediately playing on the front foot, pinning the home team back in their own 22m area. Unfortunately, this came to nothing when the visitors were penalised 10m out from the home team’s line for holding on in the tackle.
The penalty was kicked to near halfway and from the resulting lineout, the home team’s number 8, Ross Peltier, went on a barrelling run through four attempted tackles and was only stopped after he had made significant yardage.
There followed good breaks by both teams stopped when players knocked-on in the tackle.
Good yardage was made by Chris Hodgkinson that led to the ball finding its way to Steve Collins, who tried a grubber kick that the referee penalised for being in front of the kicker – not the last time Rochdale would be penalised for this offence.
The home team upped their game and put Rochdale under significant pressure only stopped by great defence inside the Rochdale 5m area.
But Crossleyans were not to be denied and, following a good crossfield move in the 18th minute, the ball found its way to Joe Mcfarlane who went in between two Rochdale defenders to score a good try that James Johnson converted (7-0).
From the restart, Collins’ kick-off went far and put the home team under pressure that was eased when they kicked to touch. Rochdale won the lineout with the pack rumbling on, but all the clever work was undone when the ball was dropped in contact near the home team’s line.
The clearing kick after the home team’s pack had won the scrum was taken by Rochdale but they were penalised for holding on in the tackle.
The home team were initially repelled when they ran the ball, but not to be denied further progress, they moved the ball across the backline for their second try to be scored (12-0).
The home team were playing the better rugby, and it took a try-saving tackle by Collins to prevent another score.
The penalty count was mounting but the referee did not appear to be warning the captains about repeated offences leading to yellow cards.
One of the more unusual penalties came when a home team high kick was palmed up by a Rochdale player only to be caught by a team mate coming back from an offside position.
The game then took a dramatic turn in the last four minutes of the half.
A high kick was dropped by the home team’s left winger and, from the resulting scrum, Rochdale won good ball. With some smart inter passing Collins went in for Rochdale’s first try in the corner that he also excellently converted (12-7).
From the kick-off, Collins launched a long searching kick to the home team’s 22m area where one of their players knocked-on. From the scrum, the ball was worked across to Josh Schofield, who went in between two defenders to score Rochdale’s second try in a matter of a few minutes that Collins once again converted (12-14).
So half time was reached with Rochdale holding a small lead that had seemed improbable only a few minutes earlier.
Two minutes into the second half, Rochdale showed they were not going to let go of the game easily.
A great break through the middle gave them a two on one, but unfortunately the ball carrier tripped himself up.
The ball was recycled quickly, and Collins went straight through a gap to score his second and Rochdale’s third try under the posts that he also converted (12-21).
There followed two quick penalties for the home team, Rochdale having been in front of the kicker. At this stage, it seemed to become clear to the Rochdale players that this was something the referee was hot on and they would be penalised if it continued.
The home team were awarded another penalty that had the Rochdale players and spectators scratching their heads – they thought the whistle had been blown for a high tackle on a Rochdale player.
From the line out following the kick to touch, the home team executed a very clever move. All the tall players went to the rear of the line out, lulling the Rochdale players into thinking that’s where the throw would go. But no, the hooker threw straight to one of his props at the front of the line out, who went over unchallenged for the home team’s third try (19-21).
At this stage, Danny Joesbury started to impose himself on his opposing scrum half and stopped or delayed his passing from the base of the scrum.
This was to continue for the rest of the game except for one penalty for getting round to his opponent too quickly and being offside.
This great work led to Rochdale being in control of most of the last quarter of the game.
There was an isolated exchange of testosterone coming to the fore during that spell and Dec Connor had to go off injured.
Fortunately, common sense and Rochdale playing the much better rugby came to the fore.
In the 69th minute, the home team was caught offside following a crossfield kick leading to a penalty to Rochdale.
A good crossfield move saw the ball find it way to Ben Sunderland, operating on the wing by this stage, and he drew his man befpre passing to Schofield who went over for his second and Rochdale’s fourth try, expertly converted by Collins (19-28).
The home team’s kickoff not only did not go 10 metres, but they also infringed, leading to a further penalty to Rochdale.
The kick to touch was followed by a line out smartly won, transferred to the backs, who executed a textbook quick crossfield move that led to Cliff Howard going over in the corner for Rochdale’s fifth try, once again was expertly converted by Collins (19-35).
In the final minute, Crossleyans kicked straight into touch leading to a lineout inside the 22m area with the home team then penalised 10m out in front of the posts. Collins stroked the ball through the posts for the game’s final score (19-38).
Rochdale were under extreme pressure for 25 minutes in the first half until their two quickfire tries took them into a lead they never conceded.
The second half was mostly controlled by Rochdale and the style of rugby they play was exemplified by the fact that all five tries were scored by the backs. However, the backs will testify to the forwards laying a platform for them to be able to play with ball in hand.
Rochdale move up to third in the table and have six home and three away games to play with five of the home games being against the other teams in the top six.
Eyes now turn to this afternoon’s game when Goole are visitors to Moorgate Avenue.