This was our first meeting with Rossendale, who finished third in Regional 1 North West. The Papa John’s Community Cup gives us a chance of an outing at Twickenham. We had Alnwick, Rossendale and Dudley Kingswinford in our pool, with the draw sending us to Rossendale and Dudley Kingswinford, and Alnwick coming to us. Dudley Kingswinford could not raise a team for their first fixture at Alnwick, and the RFU eliminated them from the pool and awarded walk-overs for their games.
With Joe Robinson’s stag weekend planned for what should have been a free weekend, many regulars were not available. So, Jack Marcroft and Tom Pick made their debut 1st XV appearances.
Both sides got straight out of the blocks, with Johnson scoring a try, converted by Dinsdale.
Rossendale replied with an unconverted try to make it 5-7 with only six minutes gone. They added another on the quarter-hour to take the lead 10-7.
Just five minutes later, Tom Brankley went in for a try to wrest the lead back, converted by Dinsdale. Rossendale 10 – 14 Driffield
They followed this up with a captain’s try on the half-hour by Jenkinson, again converted by Dinsdale. Rossendale 10 – 21 Driffield
Rossendale’s discipline started to slip, and they gave away two penalties in the five minutes before half-time, both converted by Dinsdale to give a good lead at the end of the half. Rossendale 10 – 27 Driffield
Driffield started well in the second half, and the pressure told after ten minutes when Turner went in for a bonus-point try, converted by Dinsdale. Rossendale 10 – 34 Driffield
But Rossendale held their nerve and started to apply pressure which paid off 23 minutes into the half with a try, followed seven minutes later by a converted try and the bonus point. Rossendale 22 – 34 Driffield.
Driffield had the last word, just before full-time, with another penalty by Dinsdale. Rossendale 22 – 37 Driffield
This was an excellent away result, which will make next week’s home fixture against Alnwick even more exciting
The team was :
- McKinnon, B
- Pettinger, S
- Thundercliffe, J
- Grant, H
- Turner, K
- Ramsden, D
- Jenkinson, M
- Johnson, B
- Marcroft, J
- Sowersby, J
- Scurry, O
- Brankley, A
- Brankley, T
- Hall, J
- DInsdale, B
- Pick, T
- Robson, S
- Rowbottom, M