Dale Send Preston Hoppimg

Rossendale travelled to Preston with a far from full strength side. Missing some key players and well down on numbers it was always going to be a difficult morning.
This was a fixture that was always going to be a benchmark to see how much improvement had been made during the season. Rossendale were coming into this game on the back of a runner’s up position at the Littleborough Tournament and a fine result against Westhoe RFC on the Easter weekend.
The game started and a very committed Dale side played downhill and immediately started to disrupt any patterns of play that the Hoppers could manage with some fierce tackling and some determined defence. The Dale front row got on top from the first scrum and never looked back taken balls at will against the Hoppers pack.
It was only a matter of time before Dale exerted enough pressure on the Hoppers try line and Joe Simpson crashed over to score. Converted by Callum Wheelan. The Dale lads carried on running the ball at Hoppers and a side of lesser quality would have folded to very big score but to their credit there defence held firm.
The second half started and the game was still going to be a struggle for the Dale Lads playing up hill and against the elements. The fourteen man Dale squad were tiring and as the Hoppers were bringing on fresh legs it was all hands to the pump.
The Dale forwards soon got into top gear again and started to pressurize the Hoppers forwards and it was to be more of the same for the Dale Lads with the forwards being extremely aggressive in every phase of play and the backs combining with some real fluent Rugby. George Allen was instrumental in keeping the forwards on the front foot. It was from a turn over ball that the Dale backs moved the ball along the line to send Will Pepperell through for a long run in to the line to be called back by the referee for a knock on.
Dale continued to play heads up Rugby to win a fine contest against one of the strongest sides in Lancashire.