Preston Grasshoppers Senior Colts 0-53 Rossendale Senior Colts

Rossendale Colts travelled to Preston to play Grasshoppers in the first round of the Conference stage of the Halbro North West Colts league. They were looking to revenge the 1st XV loss to Hoppers a few weeks ago, and things looked good in the warmup with a squad of 19, all fired up and ready to go. Despite some resilient defence from the home side, Rossendale dominated the game and scored 8 tries without conceding a point to take a deserved victory at Lightfoot Green.

Preston got underway with a shaky start, after the kickoff didn't cover the required ten metres, but recovered well as both teams tried to make their mark. Rossendale started to get the upper hand, with strong work from the forwards and real pace in the backs when attacking, and strong tackles and great line speed in defence. Mark Rutherford-Shaw was the first on the score sheet after a quick few phases, bursting through several tackles to score, with Joe Bedlow adding the extras. Dale's next score came after Hoppers were penalised for a high tackle in their own half, and Joe Bedlow stepped up to slot the penalty. Preston rallied for a while, and spent five minutes in the Rossendale half, repelled by some good defending from the visitors. Rossendale showed some periods of great play then let themselves down with poor ball retention - something the next few training sessions will work on. As the half time whistle approached, Rossendale were camped on the Hoppers try line, and Isaac Cornwall took a ball down a narrow blindside, before a neat offload allowed Joe Bedlow to score. After the try, there was time for the restart, which ended up in the hands of Mark Rutherford-Shaw, who then battered his way through several lines of defence into the home side's half, quickly recycled at the tackle and across the hands of the backline to Oliver Molloy to sprint over to score and end the half Preston Grasshoppers 0-20 Rossendale.

Early in the second half, Dale were exerting the pressure again, stealing a scrum against the head in Hoppers' twenty-two then allowing Jordan Fortune to break from the base and crash over to score, with Job Bedlow adding the conversion. Max Lyth was next on the scoreboard after reacting quickly to a penalty awarded for a Preston player illegally using his hands in the ruck, and slicing through the retiring defence to score, again with Joe Bedlow adding the extras. It was another quick penalty, this time from Jordan Fortune just inside the Hoppers' half that allowed him to beat the defence and score his second. Joe Bedlow had his kicking boots on, as he slotted another conversion. It was another break from Mark Rutherford-Shaw that started the next scoring move, as he fed Jordan Fortune in his own half who galloped towards the try line, passing to Tom Unsworth to finish off the move, with Joe Bedlow again adding the extras. The final try was again the result of a Jordan Fortune charge brought down but quickly recycled, with Joe Bedlow making a darting run before he fed Tom Unsworth, then Ciaran Campbell running in support, who made two excellent steps to deceive the defenders and crossed the whitewash to score with the final play. The final score was Preston Grasshoppers 0-53 Rossendale.

Rossendale's Man of the Match went to Jordan Fortune - he had an immense game, making his presence felt all over the park and could have bagged himself a hattrick other than for his selfless pass on seventh try.