Lucky 13 at home as Titans run riot

PROMOTION contenders Rotherham Titans ended the season unbeaten at home in style, scoring ten tries to cap a 13th straight win.

Seven of those scores came in a breathless second half in which Preston scored three of their own, but fell short of a losing bonus point.

A good day for Rotherham turned into an even better one with news leaders Leeds had lost at Fylde, meaning Titans will take top spot and promotion should they win their remaining two matches.

“We spoke before about putting on a performance that would support an unbeaten season at home and that’s what the players did,” said Rotherham rugby consultant Harvey Biljon.

“We’ve seen Rotherham operate in fits and starts through the season whereas today they stuck to task and played the way they have through the back end of this campaign and that was reflected in the score.”

There was only one minute 37 seconds on the

clock when John Okafor steamed in for the opening try, converted by Lloyd Hayes.

Although Preston replied with a penalty from Ed Keohane, and had one or two breaks into the home half, Jack Townend skipped in to claim Titans’ second try and the irrepressible Okafor put prop Charlie Capps in for their third.

A penalty and two conversions from Lloyd Hayes opened up a 22-3 half-time lead.

A yellow card for Hayes, the league’s top points scorer, before the break meant Rotherham started the second half a man down. It didn’t deter them.

They crossed twice soon after the restart through Zak Poole and Jack Taylor, the latter converted by Hayes’ stand-in Will Milner.

There was brief joy for Hoppers when Rob Willetts won a kick-andchase to touch down, with Keohane adding the extras.

Normal service was resumed as Townend’s second try of the day and a close-range finish from replacement Luke Cole, plus two conversion from Hayes, pulled Rotherham 48-10 clear.

Hoppers responded again through hooker Harry Holden, but Titans were soon over the half-century mark, Hayes claiming their eighth try, and adding the conversion to make it 55-15.

Replacement Cuchulain Livingstone cut inside to extend Rotherham’s lead and there was still time for Ally Murray to claim Hoppers’ third try and no.8 Callum Bustin to notch the final home score.

Hayes added the extras for a final personal tally of 20 points.

Biljon added: “There are two tough games to go and hopefully we can maintain the standards.”