Rotherham Titans suffered a shock home defeat to local rivals Sheffield Tigers, crashing 19-14 on a sunny afternoon at Clifton Lane.
A lacklustre first half performance saw Rotherham go in at the break trailing 13-0 and whilst there was an improved display in the second half, they were unable to overturn the deficit.
Tigers got off the mark as early as the second minute when former Titan Jamie Broadley chipped over the top and collected to run in unopposed from 40 metres, setting a positive tone for his side.
Tigers added to their advantage 10 minutes later when fly half Mark Ireland nailed a 3-pointer after Roth had been penalised for not being 10 metres from a previous penalty.
Then, just after the 20-minute mark matters worsened for the home side when an exuberant Sheffield outfit scored a second try through former Roth back rower Josh Redfern. The number 8 powered over following a catch and drive close to the line.
Roth did try to get on the board before the break, but stout defending from the Dore Moor side ensured that wouldn’t be the case and off they went for the half time oranges with Tigers leading 13-0.
Rotherham came out for the second period a different side, as their work-rate and appetite for the task in hand was elevated.
Remarkably inside the opening 10 minutes they could have been in the lead!
However, a dropped ball over the try-line on 43 minutes and a knock-on close to the line on 49 minutes, both of which would have been converted, left the home side very frustrated.
Titans eventually got on the board in the 66th minute when loosehead prop Charlie Capps dotted down following a series of pick and goes close to the line, following a quick-tap from skipper Zak Poole. Lloyd Hayes converted to reduce his side’s arrears to 13-7.
Now in the ascendancy Rotherham looked much the sharper of the two sides. However, it was Tigers who scored next on a rare excursion into the home side’s 22 when Roth infringed at the breakdown. Ireland stepped up to tag over the penalty to increase Tigers lead to 16-7.
Rotherham bounced back two minutes from time when second rower Theo Nwosu-Hope scored from a powerful catch and drive close to the line. Hayes’ conversion made it 16-14 to set-up a thrilling finale.
However, the great escape was not to be and in injury time Mark Ireland scored his third penalty of the afternoon to give Sheffield a deserved win.
Speaking after the game Titans Adam Byron lamented:
“We are feeling frustrated and we have a problem to solve and that problem is we are playing in a cup final every Saturday. The game last week away at Abbeydale meant a lot to a lot of people and the boys were up for it and they performed.
“To do that week in and week out in these South Yorkshire derbies is a big challenge and it’s tough and at the moment we are not getting it right.
“It appeared, as we got onto the pitch with our first half performance; that would suggest we weren’t in the right frame of mind to start with and that’s something we have to look at and change.”
Referee: Gavin Jones
Attendance: 250
Yellow Card: Challinor & Bergmanas (Titans), Frewin (Tigers)
Titans: Capps (T), Nwosu-Hope (T), Hayes (2C)
Sheffield Tigers: Broadley (T), Redfern (T), Ireland (3P)
Titans: 15 Sam Veall, 14 Jack Hedley, 13 Lloyd Hayes, 12 Harry Dunne, 11 Luckas Sableman-Blue, 10 Corben Ollivent, 9 Sam Boxhall, 1 Charlie Capps, 2 Jack Bergmanas (Bustin 47), 3 Gareth Denman, 4 Matt Challinor, 5 Theo Nwosu-Hope, 6 Callum Bustin (Inman 43) (Bergmanas 73), 7 Marcus Payne, 8 Zak Poole (Capt.).
Replacements: 16 Louis Inman, 17 Danny Rylance, 18 Alastair Donkor, 28 Cade Cambier, 20 Fraser Jones.
Sheffield Tigers: 15 Greg Mellor, 14 Si Frewin, 13 Barney Goatley, 12 Jamie Broadley, 11 James Norman, 10 Mark Ireland, 9 Ryan Holmes (Capt,), 1 Will Bennett, 2 Will Archer, 3 Nick Bingham, 4 Joe Fitzsimons, 5 Kieran Wain (Townsend 64), 6 Connor Scott (Hughes 60), 7 Tom Calladine, 8 Josh Redfern.
Replacements: 16 Sim Meek, 17 Louis Townsend, 18 Angus Hughes, 19 Sam Wager, 20 Sammy Down.
Photo: Rotherham Advertiser