Tarleton 28-15 Rossendale

Rossendale Senior Colts travelled to Tarleton with the chance of taking the top league spot and, after the big win of the previous week, hopes were high. It was an entertaining game of rugby of seven tries between two reasonably well matched teams. However Rossendale's hopes were dashed by a strong, aggressive Tarleton team who wanted it more and made fewer individual errors.

After an opening few minutes of big collisions and both sides trying to exert their authority on the game, and after a few minutes break in play as what looked like a serious injury to Tom Unsworth was dealt with, Tarleton's big prop managed to break through the Dale defence to dive over to score. The game continued in a high tempo until Tarleton conceded a penalty and yellow card for the inside centre leading with the elbow into contact. With less than a minute on the sin bin, Tarleton were down to 13 after a high tackle after Dale took a quick tape penalty, and Rossendale started to make the numbers advantage count. Cole Lanigan went over from a lineout 5 meters out byt was adjudged to have received a forward pass from Mark Rutherford-Shaw and the try was disallowed. Soon afterwards, Rossendale were awarded a penalty in front of the posts for a Tarleton player kicking the ball through the ruck, which is an infringement this season. Will Walmsley stepped up to take the kick and despite both touch judges raising their flags, the referee deemed the ball drifted away in the wind and awarded a twenty-two dropout. However, Rossendale's disappointment was short-lived as Jordan Fortune fielded the kick and charged over to score. Tarleton saw out the rest of the yellow cards' period without conceding any further points, then the big tight-head made another smashing drive through Rossendale's defence, halted just a few metres from the visitor's line. The ball was recycled quickly and it gave Tarleton the opportunity to spin the ball across the back-line and score in the opposite corner. The first half ended Tarleton 14-5 Rossendale.

The second half started with 2 fairly quick tries from the home side after some poor tackling from Dale's defence and it looked like that could be the end for Dale. However, they were not going to let their heads go down, and scored a great try from a scrum five metres out, with the ball moving quickly across the back line to end up in the hands of Callum Pelling who dived over to score. Within a few minutes, Dale were knocking on the Tarleton line again after Cole Lanigan had taken a loose ball from a lineout and driven the ball up, and within a few phases Tarleton were defending hard. Dale switched the ball back down the left into the hands of a flying Callum Whelan, until he was stopped just short of the line, but a lovely offload and an incredible finish saw Oliver Molloy go over to score. Unfortunately, this was too late and the clock beat Rossendale and ended the game Tarleton 28-15 Rossendale.

Rossendale's Man of the Match was a tough choice; there were several contenders, especially after a huge performance from Ben Ludlam but Jordan Fortune imposed himself all across the field for the whole game and his impact and commitment, as well as his first-half try meant that he was awarded the Man of the Match.

Match video available here -> https://www.pitchero.com/clubs/rossendalerufc/videos/20171015-tarleton-sc-v-rossendale-117452.html