Otley RUFC 41 - 45 Sheffield RUFC

Team Selection for Saturday 25th November 2023

15. Cameron Catleugh
14. Matt Adcock
13. James Flint
12. Will Smith
16. Christian Hooper
10. Callum Posa
9. Elliot Fisher

1. Ben Whitney
2. Ianto Jones
22. Jake Hicklin
4. Archie Crapper
5. Dom Parsons
6. Alex Fawdry
7. Jason Hignell
8. Ryan Burrows
Replacements: -
23. Reece Bartlett
24 Aaron Lonsdale
3. George Rogers
21. Felix Crapper
20. Jonny West

Moving on from last weekend’s runaway victory at home against Huddersfield, Sheffield faced a somewhat more daunting trip to Otley. Otley have in recent times been struggling a little, but no trip to their home ground is ever going to be easy. For whatever reason, Sheffield decided to try a little experiment with selection, moving Cameron Catleugh from the wing to full-back, bringing in flank forward Matt Adcock to the right wing. Now, whilst this had worked in the past when we were at the lower level of Midlands Premier, this was going to be testing for the team. This change gave an opportunity to Felix Crapper to come into the squad, on the bench, for his first appearance with the first team in a National League match.

A feature of this match was, as it turned out, a demonstration of how not to defend. Sheffield’s defence this season has in the main been very strong and committed, but on this particular Saturday it was without doubt the team’s word=se performance. Despite this, credit for getting away with it, just, with the hope we do not have a similar performance again, ever again.

The game got off to a reasonably good start for Sheffield, well almost. Sheffield kicked off and Otley kicked back to Sheffield, who immediately put together a promising attack, which faltered with a forward pass. However, Otley were penalised at the resulting scrum and Elliot Fisher converted the kick to put Sheffield into a 3 point to nil lead with less than a minute gone. The frailty of Sheffield’s defence was however, exposed almost immediately. Otley restarted and Sheffield kicked into the waiting arms, and hands of Otley’s lively back division. The ball was moved smartly to their left side and Sheffield’s defence went to the bar, allowing Otley’s left wing, Connor Parnell, to finish the move unopposed in the third minute. Scrum half, Joe Rowntree added the two points, and the chocolates (Rowntree) were all Otley’s with a 7 point to 3 lead. The next few minutes were reminiscent of the Curate’s Egg, some good, some bad. Sheffield kicked off, Otley did not attempt to catch the ball and it wandered into touch without being accosted. Otley’s lineout was burgled by Dom Parsons and Sheffield mauled forwards. Unfortunately, they turned the ball over and then gave up a penalty. The resulting lineout went Otley’s way and again attacked into Sheffield’s 22-metre where again, Sheffield gave up another penalty, which Rowntree converted to give Otley a 10 point to 3 lead after six minutes.

Sheffield recovered and from the restart managed to turn over the ball from Otley, and gain a penalty and a lineout inside Otley’s 22-metre. A second penalty allowed Sheffield to kick into the corner for a further lineout. Having won the ball, Sheffield set up a driving maul that moved forward like a train. Otley were deemed to have pulled the maul down, and Dave Charlton decided a penalty try and a yellow card for prop-forward Jason Moss, with the score tied at 10 points all after ten minutes. From the restart Sheffield kicked to touch and then stole Otley’s ball again. Sheffield were then A penalty given up at a scrum by Otley allowed Sheffield to once more secure a lineout on or around Otley’s 22-metre. From the lineout, Sheffield once more set up the driving maul from which hooker, Ianto Jones went over for the third od Sheffield’s third try. Elliot Fisher converted again and the lead was out to 24 points to 10 after twenty-one minutes. Otley restarted and Sheffield secured the ball and went off on attack, but then gave away a penalty at a breakdown on Otley’s 22-metre. Otley the secured the ball at the lineout on half way and mounted an attack. Sheffield’s defence went walkabout again, allowing Gavin Stead to plough his away up to Sheffield’s 22-metre before passing on to right wing Sam Taylor to once again score unopposed. Joe Rowntree converted again and Sheffield lead was slashed to 24 points to 17 after twenty-four minutes.

The genie was definitely out of the bottle and Sheffield defence was away with the fairies. Sheffield restarted and Otley were now up for it. Otley kicked, Sheffield kicked, Otley kicked again and Sheffield kicked again, unfortunately, not well. Sheffield’s defence was carved apart again and Sam Taylor was able to crash over in the right-hand corner with just twenty-seven minutes gone. Rowntree could not convert. But Sheffield lead was now just two points at 24 points to 22. Sheffield recovered again and now looked capable of taking control, with Sheffield’s pack being the defining force. Sheffield secured a lineout on Otley’s 22-metre, and once again went into driving maul mode for Ianto Jones to score his second try. Elliot Fisher converted again and the lead had been eked out to 31 points to 22 after thirty-three minutes. Sheffield were able to keep the pressure on, but Otley’s defence was resolute. However, as the match moved toward overtime at half time Sheffield mounted a serious attack into Otley’s 22-metre with another bullocking run. Otley gave up a penalty, from the lineout Sheffield mounted the attack and a kick through led to Otley kicking the ball dead over their own line. Sheffield had a five-metre scrum from which Elliot Fisher scooted over for his third and Sheffield’s fifth try. He converted again and the lead was out to 38 points to 22 at half time.

I think it is likely that Sheffield would like to forget the majority of the second half. Sheffield went into ‘we have won this, let’s not bother anymore’ mode. Unfortunately, Otley were in a very different mood and wanted much, much more than they had and Sheffield did all they could to assist them. To be fair the first fifteen minutes of the second half was a stalemate, but at this point Sheffield replaced their whole front row, not that the replacements were, or are not, worthy, it just changed the balance of Sheffield game. Things started to go awry and once again Otley found Sheffield defence totally absent. Otley centre Gavin Stead found the open door just inside Sheffield half and powered all the way to the try line, under the posts. Joe Rountree added the conversion and Sheffield lead was sliced to 38 points to 29 after fifty-six minutes. Sheffield managed to find their third recovery, once again powering away through their pack, for what I believe is prop-forward, George Rogers’ first, first team try. Elliot Fisher Added the conversion and Sheffield’s lead was once more out to a more comfortable lead at 45 points to 29 after sixty minutes.

The joy for Sheffield was short lived. Otley’s number 8 broke from the rear of a scrum and from the resulting breakdown, winger Sam Taylor scored his third and Otley’s fifth try from a cross-field kick straight into his waiting arms, again wide out on the touchline. Joe Rowntree was unable to convert the try and Sheffield’s lead was now only 45 points to 34 after sixty-five minutes. The pressure was now all in Otley’s favour and inevitably, Otley were to find another score when Sheffield secured the ball from a scrum on Sheffield’s 22-metre, and then lost possession allowing Otley to move the ball quickly for full-back, Ben Dinsdale to score a sixth try. Gavin Stead took over the kicking duties for Otley and converted to leave Sheffield with a slender lead at 45 points to 41 after seventy-one minutes. As one can imagine, Otley smelt blood and were fully committed to getting a winning score. They both bashed away and powered on through their backs, and with time running out another cross-field kick went in the direction of winger Sam Taylor. In the attempt to prevent a score, Sheffield wing jumped for the ball, but missed and pulled down Taylor, and obvious penalty and a yellow card for Hooper. A long debate between referee and the assistant referee as to whether a penalty try was appropriate. The decision in the end went in Sheffield’s favour, and Otley had to be content with a penalty. They elected to take a scrum, where in the later stages of the match they had been on top. They won the ball, but heir attack faltered, and they managed to lose the ball forward. Sheffield had a scrum right on their five-metre line, but again Otley were too anxious and gave up a penalty. Sheffield kicked to touch, through Jonny West, to secure a lineout. Sheffield won the ball at the lineout and Otley gave away another penalty. The referee indicated time was up and Sheffield tapped and kicked to touch to take the win. At the end both teams had scored six tries and one penalty each, but Sheffield had converted all of their six tries and Otley only four. Five points to Sheffield and two to Otley.

Otley RUFC Team: -
15. Ben Dinsdale; 14. Sam Taylor; 13. Gavin Stead; 12. Jacob Holmes; 11. Connor Parnell; 10. Ed Crossland; 9. Joe Rowntree;
1. Leon Mudd; 2. Ryan Gibson; 3. Jason Moss; 4. Adam Malthouse (Capt.); 5. Chris Jackson; 6. Nick Fontaine; 7. Sam Hodge; 8. Sam Waddington:
Replacements: -
16. Gruffydd John-Morris; 17. Tom Baxter; 18. George Bowen; 19. Lewis Eaton; 20. Charlie Metcalf:

Scoring: -