Rochdale U14s 5-27 Rossendale U14s

Rochdale U14s 5 - 27 Rossendale U14s

Round 6 of the Blacksticks Challenge saw Rossendale travel to local rivals Rochdale and come away with a victory, in a fiercely contested game which should seal second position in the table with one match to play.

With a very heavy frost it looked the game may not go ahead, but with a slight delay to the kick off time to allow the sun to soften the few remaining icy spots and enable the game to get under way.

Rossendale recieved the kick off and immediately took the play back to the hosts, and set the pattern of play for the game. Several phases of solid forward play allowed Rossendale deep into Rochdale territory, and with just 5 minutes on the clock, Rossendale winger Idrees Nazir almost dived over the line but was bundled into touch just short. Rochdale managed to secure the resulting lineout and recover a few metres before their attacker was taken in to touch to give Rossendale a lineout just outside the Rochdale twenty two. Mark Rutherford-Shaw out-jumped his opposite number and crashed through the Rochdale defence to score Rossendale's first try. Rossendale continued to apply the pressure, testing the Rochdale defence, but the defence held firm. The next 10 minutes became the rugby equivalent of an arm-wrestle, with both sides gaining possession and trying to make in-roads, but being denied by stout defences. Eventually Rossendale managed to break the deadlock when Isaac Cornwall barrelled over the whitewash. The half-time score was Rochdale 0 - 10 Rossendale.

Early into the second half, Rossendale were threatening the Rochdale line until a knock-on gave Rochdale a scrum just in front of their own posts. The scrum was superbly won against the head by Isaac Mason, and with a few quick passes ended up in the hands of Tom Haigh who went over to score at short range. Rossendale's next try game after a weaving run from James Willetts enable him to slip through the Rochdale defence to score and give Rossendale a comfortable lead. However, 5 minutes of poor discipline saw a series of penalties awarded to Rochdale, each allowing them to gain territory and close in on the try line, and eventually go over to score. The final score of the game came from Rhys Tighe, as he peeled away from the Number 8 position in a scrum in Rossendale's own twenty-two, evade the Rochdale defence and sprint the length of the pitch to score, converted by Ciaran Campbell. The game ended shortly after, Rochdale 5-27 Rossendale. Man of the match was awarded to Mark Rutherford-Shaw, who had an immense game in both attack and defence.