Rugby Union: Rochdale RUFC 17 - 33 Northwich RUFC

Rochdale RUFC 17 v 33 Northwich RFC

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Rochdale Rugby Union Football Club were beaten by Northwich in the first game of the season.

Within a couple of minutes Rochdale were trailing when they allowed the Northwich winger to glide through some very poor cover tackling to go 60 yards and touch down near the posts for a converted try.

Northwich maintained possession for long periods and were moving the ball about with some slick and accurate handling, but Rochdale defence kept the visitors at bay.

The game was being played out in the middle of the pitch with no team taking the upper hand, although Northwich did look more dangerous when in possession.

Northwich were throwing the ball about but sending one pass too many, Dom Macklin, the Rochdale centre, was on it in a flash with a fine calculated interception. He took the ball 50 yards down field before he was overhauled but was able to offload to support runner Ollie Coldman who touched down near the posts for a converted try.

No sooner had the game restarted than it was Coldman’s turn to make the break, he also made the hard yards to the try line before handing on to support runner Josh Schofield who went over for the try.

Northwich were still playing open rugby and looked dangerous on a number of occasions with the Rochdale defence looking more vulnerable as the game went on.

Scrum half Matt Poste scampered over from twenty yards out for a converted try to put Northwich back in front.

Rochdale went straight back on the attack, and having gained a scrum five metres out successfully shunted the Northwich pack over the line for a try to Danny Joesbury.

Half time: Rochdale RUFC 17 - 14 Northwich RUFC

The second half continued in the same vein with both sides testing each other out.

The Rochdale pack were keeping them in the game with dominance in the scrum and a fair share of the line out.

The Northwich backs were keeping up the pressure in open play.

It was the referee who turned out to be the game changer when he awarded a penalty try against Rochdale for pulling a maul down near the try line. An automatic seven points to Northwich and Rochdale number 8 Tom Helliwell was sin-binned for ten minutes.

This put a totally different slant on the game and whilst Rochdale did have a couple of half chances to get back into the game the numbers eventually told and Northwich got a try in the corner.

Helliwell came back on but the damage had been done by then and to rub salt in the wound, Northwich scored again after a fine cross kick which saw the winger touch down in the corner.