Excellent Outing! Well done U14's

Thanks all, very good turnout, both parents and players. We appreciate the support and very happy to get everyone on the pitch and playing in this friendly. Very pleased given the sub-zero temperatures and Orrell is probably one of the furthest of the fixtures we can play.
The game started well, Rossendale if anything were a bit standoff ‘ish but looking up for it and putting together a tidy defence.
It took a while for both teams to make any impact on the game, but 10 minutes in Orrell opened their account with some fancy footwork on the break and managed to put the ball over for their first try. Following this Rossendale kept their heads and put together some good action and making a decent attack up the field. Orrell managed to turn the ball over and again punishing the Rossendale defence put together a very good break finished off with a Kick to the corner which one of their players was hanging out to collect and clinically took the ball and scored the try.

This probably prompted a little knock in the Rossendale psychology and despite a good break, Orrell seemed to capitalise and from 18 through 25 minutes a few lapses and dip in energy from our team saw Orrell put a further 4 tries in pretty much quick succession through our ranks.

Probably a good thing, the ref blew for half time and we had chance to reflect and rest. To be fair all players were breathing hard and given the soft ground and temperature they all worked hard.

The second half was a much better game of it, plenty of good defence and Orrell struggled to break and there was not the same ability to push the ball to the wing and capitalise…, this gave Rossendale a bit of a boost and with great support, energy and commitment we managed to break through the lines a few times and gain yards down the Orrell half, with grit determination and belligerence Joe managed to hang on to the ball and drive over for a try and to get our start on the scoreboard. Well Done Joe!

The first 15 minutes of the second half were superb, some really good action from both teams great ball carrying, we still suffered from playing very narrow and keeping the ball with in centimetres of the breakdown but still we were able to make yards. Culminating in a second try and again, quite a manhandled push for the line and another try for Rossendale, this time nicely converted by Ethan Fourie.
Two more tries, one a piece in the closing 15 and again Joe finding the try line for Rossendale.

Overall a very good run out for Rossendale, Orrell were very good, probably their ability to get the ball wide punished us first half, but we showed the game was not one sided and to be honest if not for the lapse at the end of the first half I believe we would have had a highly contested game.
Try scorer Rossendale Joe (X3) and 1 Conversion Ethan Fourie. Man of the match Joe, Tackle(s) and work rate and Effort Man of the match Will. Well Done both!

All lads put in a good shift, well done all. Quick shout for Jamie, Brandon and Rufus, all playing either first match or second matches. Very well done boys hope you enjoyed it.

The game ended seven tries to Orrell and three for Rossendale …, I made it 45, 17.