Rotherham Titans got their preparations for the new Champ Rugby season off to a flying start with a comprehensive 60–7 victory over National 2 East outfit Old Albanians at a sun-drenched Clifton Lane.

In testing, humid conditions, the newly promoted Titans produced an entertaining display of attacking rugby, crossing for ten tries to one. However, the final scoreline did not tell the whole story, with a determined Old Albanians side making Rotherham work hard throughout and refusing to let the heat and demanding conditions dampen their effort.

Rotherham raced out of the blocks and needed just two minutes to open their account. Scrum-half Brent Jackson powered his way over the line to give the hosts an early lead.

The Titans soon doubled their advantage when winger Chris Kirby finished off an excellent flowing move, with Rotherham moving the ball across the full width of the pitch before Kirby found the space to dot down.

The pressure continued, and on 15 minutes winger James Norman capitalised on a charge down to nip in and score Rotherham’s third try.

Before the half-hour mark, Jackson was back among the scorers, diving over from close range for his second try of the afternoon as Rotherham continued to threaten the Albanians defence.

Despite the early onslaught, Old Albanians never stopped competing and were rewarded with a deserved try before the interval. A well-executed catch-and-drive saw the visitors power over the line, with the conversion adding the extras and making it 26–7 at the break.

Rotherham started the second half just as quickly as they had begun the first, adding two tries inside the opening four minutes.

Norman grabbed his second after a scintillating 50-metre break from Ryan McGloin had carved open the Albanians defence. Moments later, Norman turned provider, producing another stunning break downfield before John Okafor finished the move to extend the Titans’ advantage.

With Rotherham now in full attacking flow, Norman completed his hat-trick before the hour mark, while Jackson also secured his treble as the Titans continued to exploit gaps in the tiring visitors’ defence.

Yet Old Albanians remained committed to the contest, battling hard despite the increasingly oppressive conditions and ensuring that Rotherham could not simply coast through the closing stages.

The final exchanges produced two more Titans tries. Centre Gus Patterson crossed the whitewash before prop forward D’arcy Mulrooney completed the scoring, taking Rotherham to an impressive 60 points and rounding off an entertaining afternoon at Clifton Lane.

The 60–7 victory was exactly the kind of result Rotherham would have wanted as they stepped up their preparations for life back in the Champ. More importantly, the performance provided plenty of encouraging signs, with ten tries showcasing the attacking threat available to the Titans.

For Old Albanians, the scoreline was harsh reward for a side that worked tirelessly throughout, particularly in the punishing heat. They never stopped grafting and played their part in an entertaining contest.

For Rotherham, however, it was a perfect start to their pre-season campaign and a confidence-boosting afternoon as they prepare for the challenges that await them in the Champ.

Speaking post-match Harvey Biljon reflected:

“When we normally talk about tough conditions, we mean the cold and wind and rain, but the today they came in the form of brutally hot conditions, and it was extremely tough out there for both sets of players.

“Today was exactly the sort of hit-out that we needed, I thought Old Albanians came and challenged us from minute one. You could see their intent straight off the restarts, they were play, play, play.

“And they put us in positions where we had long defensive sets and that will put us in good stead down the line.

“I also think when you consider the likes of Harry Tunningley and Chris Kirby who are 18 years of age playing in a Rotherham shirt; I think that is really exciting for us.

“Everyone is going to talk about the size of the new pitch, but I think we found that balance between forwards and backs today around our attack. However, we recognise from a defensive point of view we’re going to have to step it up another gear.

“But I’m really excited about this project and how this facility continues to build and grow!”

Referee: Henry Pearson

Assistant Referees: Jack Sutton & Gregg Dawson

TITANS:

15: RYAN MCGLOIN

14: CHRIS KIRBY

13: LLOYD HAYES

12: GUS PATTERSON

11: JAMES NORMAN

10: TOM THRELFALL

9: BRENT JACKSON

1: ZAC NEARCHOU

2: LOUIS INMAN

3: TOM BAIRSTOW

4: CURRAN MAGUIRE

5: LOUIS GUTHRIE

6: JOHN OKAFOR

7: TRAVIS GORDON (CAPT.)

8: LEKIMA RAVUVU

REPLACEMENTS:

HARRY TUNNINGLEY (FR)

D’ARCY MULROONEY (FR)

ANDREW FOSTER (FR)

JAMES BROWN

HARRY STONE

BEN FARROW

ELLIS THOMAS

JOE ADAMS

PETER HUDSON-KOWALEWICZ

BRAYTON TAYLOR