Paul Wilcock

TREBLES don’t come any sweeter than this, as the Tigers made it three wins on the bounce against Roses rivals Rotherham.

With both sides fielding new signings, it was the Tigers’ additions that played the bigger part, with wing Paul Wilcock scoring on his debut, as two tries in three minutes early in the second half sealed victory.

Titans had three former Tigers in their ranks, with Jon Feeley joined by last season’s top two try scorers, Chris Briers and Jon Skurr, making a quick return.

However, they came up against a Tigers side bursting with commitment, endeavour, confidence and at last composure to come from behind to earn a well deserved victory.

Tigers’ debutants – wingers Peter Swatkins and Wilcock, centre Richard Tafa, lock Dean Williams and Number 8 Ollie Cook – all played their part in a hard-earned victory, with Cook and Wilcock the pick of the new boys. 

In a competitive first half, played for the most part in the 20 metres either side of the half-way line, both defences were on top, snuffing out threats in both the tight and the loose, with the Titans having slightly more of the play.

Indeed, it was only Phil Jones’ penalty that separated the two – coming from a 43-metre kick on 13 minutes – until time added on at the end of the first half gave the Titans their chance.

With both sides trying to create extra space out wide in which to manufacture an overlap, it was the Titans who did so first, with fullback Errie Claassens, brother of Bath scrum-half and Springbok Michael, joining the Titans’ back line at pace.

On 45 minutes pressure took the Titans to within 10 metres of the Tigers’ line on the right, where they were awarded a penalty. From there the ball was spun at speed through the half-backs and centres and Claassens joined the line out left, creating the man advantage and crossed the Tigers’ line himself, with Briers available if needed. Skipper and fly-half Mike Whitehead could not add the conversion and so the visitors had to make do with a slim 3-5 lead at the break.

However, the Tigers emerged for the second half determined to turn things around and they did so in double quick time.

Four minutes after the re-start, they won scrum ball in their own half and used possession well, spreading play left to right where centre Andy Craig off-loaded to fullback Matt Riley, who had joined the line at speed.

He ploughed down the right-hand touchline and in turn fed Swatkins, who beat his man and made more metres before slipping a pass to Wilcock, who had made his way over from the opposite flank.

The former Leigh man took the pass on the fly and used his speed to outpace his marker and cross the Titans’ line to the right of the posts. This gave Jones a better angle from which to add the conversion and the Tigers regained the lead.

Three minutes later the Titans tried to use the new Experimental Law Variations to their advantage by taking a quick lineout inside their own 22. But the Tigers turned the ball over and Glen Townson broke a number of tackles, drawing the Titans’ defence before off-loading.

Spotting an overlap on the left the ball was fed wide where flanker Adam Newton popped up to cross in the corner. Jones duly added the extras and the Tigers led 17-5.

On 52 minutes they were awarded a penalty just outside the Titans’ 22 and Jones kicked it to extend his side’s lead.

For a time the Titans put the Tigers under intense pressure, forcing three successive penalties out on the right. Each time they kicked for touch, aiming for the lineout take followed by a catch and drive to the line; but the home side defended stoutly to keep them at bay.

That was until the 73rd minute when Barry Jacobsz was on hand to take a slip-pass from Skurr, who had been held up on the line before crashing over from a metre out. Whitehead’s conversion ensured the visitors stayed in the game despite trailing 20-12.

The Titans stuck to their task but repeatedly came up against a Tigers’ defence committed to not conceding any more points, a target they achieved to make it a winning start to the new season.
 
SEDGLEY TIGERS: RILEY, SWATKINS (Hall 48), CRAIG (Wilkinson 72), TAFA, WILCOCK, JONES, LECK (Wilkinson 8 – Blood, reversed 16), GAZZOLA (Greenhalgh 79), RODDAM (Roberts 72), Petrus DU PLESSIS (A.Livesey 72), FOURIE (Williams 65), TOWNSON, CROUS (D.Livesey 78), NEWTON, COOK.    
Tries: WILCOCK (13) and NEWTON (47).
Conversions: JONES 2.
Penalties: JONES 2.

ROTHERHAM TITANS: CLAASSENS (West 79), BRIERS, HUNT, ALLEN, ALLEN, WHITEHEAD, Neil CHIVERS, CORSAR (Mark Chivers 65), CONROY (Horn 57), PRESCOTT (O’Donnell 26), McGOWAN (Challinor 54), HAYTER (Raven 39), JACOBSZ, Tinus DU PLESSIS, SKURR.
Replacement NOT used: ERSKINE.
Tries: CLAASSENS (39) and JACOBSZ (73).
Conversions: WHITEHEAD 1.