Good and bad points as Rotherham Titans see off students

Titans despatched Durham University 41-17 at Clifton Lane on Friday, scoring seven tries and fielding a different team in each half. They have also defeated Leeds Tykes and Guernsey Raiders in warm-up games.

But while acknowledging some good points in the way the players went about their business against a tenacious Durham team, forwards coach Matt Smith was disappointed in other aspects.

“It’s a big game for the Durham lads and our lads probably didn’t give them the respect they deserved,” he said.

"Periods of the game looked really good. We stuck to process and were all on the same page and that meant we scored in little flurries.

"Other times there was overplaying in the wrong areas, people going off script and you come off having put 40 points on a team and everybody is frustrated.

"If anything it sharpens the mind and gets people realising they have to be on the mark to get the results, especially going into a tough league."

Turning around level pegging at 17-17, Titans turned the screw in the second half with tries from Tomasi Tanumi, John Okafor and a brace from no.8 Callum Bustin.

The first-half scores came from wing Tainne Finn, full-back Jack Townend and new back row, the former Llanelli man Ellis Thomas.

"Some players played themselves into (the starting team). Some players maybe played themselves out,” added Smith.

"What we do know about National One is that you are playing against big men week after week after week. We know we are going to have to use the squad, so there will be rotation, probably more so that there’s been over the last couple of years.

"We are confident we have a good squad.”

The newly promoted Titans start their National One campaign at home to Rosslyn Park on Saturday (2pm).