Featherstone Rovers 18 Sheffield Eagles 18 Finally the long wait was over and the season proper was due to start with a home tie in the Northern Rail Cup against Sheffield Eagles. The teams met three times last year with two of the games going Rovers way and one to Sheffield but both teams had strengthened during the close season and this promised to be a close encounter. The final score was as close as it could be with the teams sharing the spoils, but the handful of visiting fans must have gone home the happier, as Rovers, who controlled large parts of the game, had their 'pocket picked' a minute from the end of the game as Sheffield scored a converted try. Rovers could have scored in the first two minutes as, after good drives by the forwards, Ian Hardman was held up over the line. The first try was not long coming though. After covering 70m with the first five drives an up-and-under from Liam Finn at acting half was slapped back by Jamie Field to Liam Welham who crossed to score. Kyle Briggs' kick hit the upright a fact that in the end contributed to Rovers failure to win the game.
Things didn't look so good just before the end of the first quarter as Sheffield prop Mitchell Stringer ignored the tacklers round him and twisted to plant the ball under the sticks. Leaking tries under the sticks was to be Rovers' undoing as, although they outscored the Eagles four tries to three, Johnny Woodcock the Eagles' kicker had 100% success whilst Kyle Briggs found the kicks from the touchline just too difficult. Both teams were spreading the ball from side to side of the field and looking Rovers hadn't touched the ball in the second half and they could have been further behind had not a good tackle by Liam Flinn stopped the opposition player inches from the line. When they did touch the ball they scored. A penalty for a facial on Jon Steel gave them field position and when Matty Dale was able to flick the ball back in the tackle as he drove for the line, Andy Kain threw a looped miss pass out for Liam Welham to go over. Once again a difficult kick was missed by Kyle but the scores were now tied. From their very next possession Rovers rolled down the hill to score again. Even though a tackle off the ball by Jason Mossop brought the touch judge onto the field, Rovers kept their heads and Liam Welham took a fast ball from Liam Finn at acting half, and dived under the tacklers to get his hat-trick. With a kick from closer to the middle of the field, Kyle managed his fourth attempt to convert a try. A six point lead and Rovers were good for it.
With only a couple of minutes to go the points came at the wrong end of the field for the home supporters. The Eagles got back to back sets when a kick through by Brendon Lindsay bobbled along the touchline and Ian Hardman had to carry it out. Another set after a penalty for interference by Stuart Dickens was one too many and with Sam Barlow making a dummy run to his left, Craig Cook burrowed through from acting half. Once again a kick in front of the sticks was no problem for Johnny Woodcock and the scores were level. With sixty seconds to go and most fans expecting a short kick off, Rovers elected to go deep and the clock ran down as the Eagles came away from their line. A neutral observer would have enjoyed a good game of rugby league with both teams running constructive plays using the full width of the field but the home fans will have gone home frustrated that the opportunity for a winning start had been snatched from their team. Looking to the future there was a lot of good things to take away from this game. The four new players all made good debuts and among good performances from the established players, Jamie Field stands out in his ability to organise players round him particularly in defence.
Half Time 8 - 12 Referee Mr R Laughton Scoring sequence 4-0, 8-0, 8-6, 8-12, 12-12, 18-12, 18-18 Crowd: 1175 © 2010 Stuart Lonsdale |
Rovers were to add to their lead only three minutes later. A Sheffield player coming back up the field was penalised as he played the ball in an offside position and from the middle of the field Rovers turned down the two and ran the ball. The decision was seen to be correct as from the tap they scored the best try of the game. A good drive by Grayshon set up the position and then good fast hands through Andy Kain, Jamie Field and Ian Hardman gave Jon Steele the room to dive over in the corner. Another difficult kick missed but the omens looked good for the home team. 
dangerous but it was Sheffield who were to score again on the half hour and take the lead. The try came at the end of a good spell for Rovers as they held Sheffield in their own half for a good ten minutes. The home team should have turned this possession into points because eventually a penalty for holding down gave Eagles the territory they needed to mount an attack. The defence held out well until on the fifth, a kick through by Aaron Groom hit Stuart on the foot and bounced up invitingly for Alex Roe to cross, once again under the sticks and having dominated much of the first half Rovers were still to turn round four points in arrears. In fact it could have been worse had not Woodcock missed a penalty from the forty metre line late in the half. 
As Rovers powered down the field with breaks from Saxton and Lee it seemed only a matter of time before the game was put 'safe'. Even though the Eagles were still pressing and Szostak was held up over the line the home team looked the more likely to score. With five minutes to go they nearly did but when the ball was passed back from Finn to Kain he pulled wide his attempted drop goal from in front of the sticks and twelve metres out.
