Rochdale 27 Morley 25
Rochdale welcomed Morley to Moorgate Avenue on a bright sunny day made for good running rugby on a good pitch. The early pressure came from Rochdale in their own half with good defence by Morley. A knock on by Morley led to a scrum to Rochdale. The ball was fed back to Collins whose crossfield kick to Howard just ran into touch. Good play then by Morley saw them into the Rochdale 22 where good defence by the home team was keeping the visitors out until a penalty was awarded for the Morley ball carrier holding on in the tackle. Further good ball retention by Morley in the Rochdale half saw them once again progress through to the home team’s 22, where a knock on led to a scrum to Rochdale. The scrum was taken against the head by Morley and a penalty awarded to the away team for illegal actions at the scrum. A further penalty after 9 minutes to Morley led to a good take at the line out with their drive well held by the Rochdale defence and led to another penalty to the home team for holding on in the tackle again. There followed an exchange of penalties to and against both teams as their discipline especially at the ruck let them down. From the latest penalty to Rochdale after 17 minutes, the ball was worked across to Collins who danced through under the posts for a try that he also converted (7-0).
Morley did not let this setback get them down and following a good run by Silkstone, the ball was fed across to Ryan who scored an unconverted in the corner after 21 minutes (7-5). A penalty shortly afterwards to Morley on the halfway line failed to make touch, Schofield kicked back to the Morley 22 where a kick to touch led to a line out to the home team, from which Emerson drove on but Rochdale were penalised for coming in from the side at the ruck. A further exchange of penalties by both teams did not lead to much meaningful action. At this stage, both teams were guilty of slow ball being made available and defences being on top. After 30 minutes, following another drive from a Rochdale line out, a penalty was awarded for a high tackle. Collins stepped up to put the ball between the posts (10-5). Further penalties to both teams were slowing the game down until another one in the 35th minute in front of the posts was kicked over again by Collins ((13-5). As the 1st half was drawing to the end, in the 37th minute a further penalty to Morley was put over by Hawkins to make the half time score 13-8 to the home team. The half lacked fluidity as 17 penalties were awarded by the referee, who it must be said had a decent game.
The early play in the 2nd half saw play in the Morley 22 which they repelled with not much difficulty. After 47 minutes, another penalty to Rochdale for holding on in the tackle led to Collins putting over another kick between the posts ((16-8). The kick off by Morley mysteriously found its way into touch near the Rochdale 22. The line out throw was not straight that led to a scrum to Morley at which for about the first time in the game, Rochdale matched their opponent’s push.
After 52 minutes, 2 consecutive penalties for a high tackle and coming in at the side at a ruck saw Hawkins stride up to put the ball between the posts (16-11). Further pressure by Rochdale at this stage was relieved when the ball went into touch. After 58 minutes a long kick through by Schofield was fielded by Hawkins but who held on when pressured by Rochdale players. Collins once again stepped up to put the ball through the posts (19-11). After 60 minutes, a penalty to Morley for a high tackle by a Rochdale player was kicked to touch, then moved well across the pitch for Bayliss to go in for a try that Hawkins converted (19-18). The kick off was knocked on by Morley and from the ensuing scrum, the referee awarded another penalty to Rochdale and a Yellow Card to the Morley number 8. The penalty was kicked to touch and from the line out, Rochdale went through 2 phases to get the ball to Hartley who dived in at the corner (24-18).
After 69 minutes, a penalty to Morley in the Rochdale 22 was taken quickly by Baylis, who passed to Silkstone for him to go in for a try halfway between the posts and touchline. Hawkins added the conversion to put Morley in front for the 1st time (24-25). There followed a kicking exchange by both teams that amounted to nothing much except separate scrums to both teams for knock ons by their opponents. After 74 minutes, Rochdale pressure in the Morley 22 led to a penalty to the home team when a Morley player inexplicably played the ball when retreating from an offside position. The kick was put through the posts by Collins (27-25). Morley increased their pressure on the Rochdale 22 that was only relieved when a forward pass led to a scrum to Rochdale from which Collins kicked the ball to halfway. After 79 minutes, Rochdale win the ball at a line out and move up to near the Morley 22. Morley were forced to put the ball to touch for a Rochdale put in at the lineout. The referee then awarded a penalty to Morley for Rochdale taking too much time to take the line out. Nothing much happened from this penalty and when Rochdale were awarded another penalty and with time up, Collins kicked the ball into touch to signal the end of the game.
A hard watch at times due to the high number of penalties (13 to each team) that led to disjointed play. Morley will probably regret not taking more points from their greater ball possession in the 1st half and Rochdale will play better and not win in the future. Unusual for Rochdale to be involved in a game from which neither team gets a 4-try bonus point. Thoughts now turn to next week’s game v Old Crossleyans (A).
