Rotherham Titans punished for second-half points drought

ROTHERHAM Titans will address the problems they're experiencing in the second half matches in the wake of Saturday's defeat at Birmingham Moseley.
Action from Saturday's game. Picture by Harish Chavda/www.dingleimages.comAction from Saturday's game. Picture by Harish Chavda/www.dingleimages.com
Action from Saturday's game. Picture by Harish Chavda/www.dingleimages.com

ROTHERHAM Titans will address the problems they're experiencing in the second half matches in the wake of Saturday's defeat at Birmingham Moseley.

For the second week running the Titans failed to score a point after half time and whereas it didn't cost them victory against Cambridge seven days earlier, it did at Billesley Common.

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Leading by eight points at the interval after Lewis Wilson's try a couple of penalties from former Moseley man Sam Hollingsworth, Rotherham were on the back foot for most of the second period and Birmingham clawed their way back to claim a 15-11 victory and consolidate third place in National One.

Director of rugby Martin Jenkinson said: "I am disappointed that for the second week running we haven't scored any points in the second half and I wonder what that indicates. Does it mean we become complacent? Does it mean we're not fit enough? We need to analyse it and get to the bottom of it."

Rotherham have won both home games so far but lost all three away. They had victory plucked from their grasp in stoppage time at Plymout but Moseley, utilising the slope advantage better in the second half, had wrestled back the advantage by the hour mark with tries by Aaron Crofts and Oli Morris, one of which was converted by Ben Palmer. 

When Titans did work themselves into a promising position just metres from the home try line, the lineout throw wasn't straight.

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"Some of the play in the second half was like a comedy of errors from both teams. It was almost like lots of good play undone by lots of sporadic, silly mistakes," added Jenkinson.

"On another day it could have been a different result but we must start winning these close games."

Yorkshire U20s fly-half Sam Boxhall made his debut for Rotherham at scrum-half while veteran prop Toby Williams came on for his 100th appearance.

Titans are at home to Darlington Mowden Park on Saturday (2pm).

 

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