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Leigh 6 - 13 Rochdale

14/10/2008

IT was never going to be easy for Rochdale to take the points at Leigh. These two teams know one another well and while not quite a derby, passions rise when these rivals collide and, as the score suggests, this was the case on Saturday.

The sides play a different style of rugby. Rochdale try to move the ball wide at every opportunity, while Leigh play around a large pack and prefer to drive the ball down the middle, only releasing the ball on rare occasions.

The visitors put themselves under pressure from the kick-off when they knocked on and gave the home side a good position. Leigh turned the screw with their big forwards driving for the line and it was only robust defence that kept them at bay. They were then awarded a penalty for an offside offence, the resulting kick at goal appeared to go two yards wide but the home touch judge put his flag up while the Rochdale touchjudge kept his down. The referee awarded the penalty despite some vociferous objections from the visiting supporters.

Rochdale were living off scraps of possession, their lineout was not functioning well and Leigh were disrupting the scrums and preventing them getting decent ball. Both sides got into good attacking positions, but the visitors kept losing possession while Leigh persevered with their forwards driving the ball down the middle, only to be thwarted by excellent Rochdale defence.

It was ironic that just short of half time Rochdale got a lineout five yards from the try line and although Leigh won the ball they were driven back. The home team lost the ball over the line and scrum half Darren James was on it in a flash to score well out. A penalty by Steve Collins gave Rochdale an 8-3 lead.

Callum Mulkeen had to leave the field with a head injury after he was clattered taking a high ball. He was replaced by Ben Cullen who returned after injury. He is another Rochdale’s youngster fighting for a place in the backline. Tom Helliwell also came off with a broken hand and will be out for five weeks, veteran Lee Riddle replaced him.

The visitors began to look dangerous with better possession and the backs looked as though they may score at anytime. But they wasted two gold-plated opportunities with the line at their mercy.

They did get it right with 20 minutes to go when Leigh spilled the ball in their own half. Quick hands saw the ball moved out to winger Mark Thomas who rounded his opposite number and passed the ball back inside to Collins who also made a half break to put skipper Mike Bradwell in the clear. The number eight did well to outstrip the Leigh defence and score.

Leigh piled on the pressure but persisted in using their pack to try to breach a formidable defence. The new laws have made it far more difficult to score tries in this manner, but they won a penalty, which reduced the gap to seven points.

With time running out, Leigh started to throw the ball about but found it difficult to make any headway.

This was a great defensive effort by the Rochdale pack, the backs on the other hand did not have their best day and some dubious kicking straight to the Leigh defence in the later stages could well have been severely punished.

On Saturday, Rochdale entertain Carlisle at Bamford in a cup game, kick-off 3pm.