National Division 1

31st March 2007

Clifton Lane

Titans 26

Bedford 20

15 Andrew Turnbull (Steenson 60), 14 Brian Tuohy, 13 Showan Smith (Stewart 60), 12 Jamie Blackwood, 11 Errie Claassens, 10 Mike Whitehead, 9 Joe Bedford (Capt), 1 Sam Walsh (Kilbane 77), 2 Nigel Conroy (Hanna 77), 3 Adam Hopcroft (McComb 77), 4 Erik Lund (Cochrane 70), 5 Louie McGowan, 6 Hendre Fourie, 7 Bernard Hennessey, 8 Jannie Bornman.

Replacements:16 Jamie Kilbane, 17 Steve Croall, 18, Neil Hanna 19 Gareth McComb, 20 Neil Cochrane, 21 Gareth Steenson, 22 Shane Stewart.

Bedford

15 Emyr Lewis, 14 Craig Moir, 13 Liam Roberts, 12 Matt Allen, 11 Alex Page,10 Ross Broadfoot, 9 Karl Dickson, 1 Matt Volland, 2 Chris Johnson, 3 Adrian Olver, 4 Jon Phillips, 5 James Percival, 6 Adam Kettle, 7 Sacha Harding, 8 Shaun Brady.

Replacements: 16 Chris Whitehead, 17 Dan Cole, 18 James Graham, 19 Marc Comb, 20 Ben Pienaar, 21 Dom Malone, 22 Ben Patston.

Bester continued, “We didn’t play well in the first half, we were a little lethargic and the windy conditions didn’t help. Bedford also played very well both defensively and around the contact area.”

Bester then went on to reveal his pre-match concern, “This was a potential banana skin, they have an excellent back line that can rip teams apart and when they scored the first try I thought we may have been in trouble. So I am very happy with the five points. We now move on and prepare for another tough match next week against Doncaster.”

Rotherham indeed started sluggishly albeit into a strong head wind, but Bedford did appear to be the sharper from the off. On 11 minutes Andrew Turnbull made a fine tackle on Alex Page which probably prevented the first score of the game.

However on 17 minutes ill discipline from Roth gave Bedford’s Ross Broadfoot the easiest of conversions to open up a 3-0 lead. Just three minutes later and Bedford’s confidence was soaring after a fine move involving backs and forwards was finished off with Liam Roberts near the corner for an unconverted try.

Eventually the magnificent Rotherham pack of forwards began to establish themselves on the game. Time after time they made the hard yards against a very combative Bedford pack.

On the half hour mark Roth’s pack earned their just reward when theo utstanding Jannie Bornman touched down after previous good work from Errie Claassens and Showan Smith. Mike Whitehead converted from just left of the sticks to reduce Roth’s arrears to a single point.

Just before the break Roth turned over Bedford ball in their own 22 and but for a loose pass from Smith to Tuohy, we may well have seen an 80 metre breakaway try. However there were no further points added in the first half.

If Roth started the first half sluggishly, the same accusation could not have been made for the second. Just two minutes in and a neat move ended with Smith sliding the much improved Jamie Blackwood in for a try. Unfortunately for the Scot, Smith’s pass was deemed to be forward. That was just one of many questionable decisions that Referee Bruce Robertson made during the game.

Rotherham continued to press as their pack strengthened their grip on the game. This was evident on 56 minutes when the Bedford open side Sacha Harding was sin-binned for preventing Roth quick ball.

From the penalty Roth elected to go for a scrum just 5 metres out and as the Roth pack drove the visitors back, Joe Bedford pounced to touch down for his eighth try of the season.

From the restart the visitors caught Roth napping and duly punished them with a Matt Allen try after a neat break from Broadfoot who converted.

Ten minutes from time and Joe Bedford scored an almost identical try to his first. Only this time it was the visitors who had the put in at a scrum 5 metres from their own line.

Three minutes from time Hendre Fourie pinched Bedford ball and spun it out to Errie Claassens on the left flank. From 45 metres out Claassens showed his speed as he raced home to secure the bonus point.

In injury time there was late drama as Bedford’s Matt Allen touched down in the corner. He appeared to clatter into the flag before touching down, but between them the officials deemed it a try.

Full Time: Rotherham 26-20 Bedford

Attendance: 1513

Sat 31 March 07

Coventry 11-55 Leeds

Exeter 36-12 Doncaster

London Welsh 16-10 Cornish Pirates

Newbury 18-17 Waterloo

Pertemps Bees 57-23 Otley

Plymouth Albion 48-0 Moseley

Sun 1 April 07

Nottingham 50-0 Sedgley Park

National Division 1

Rotherham v Doncaster - 7 April, at Clifton Lane.

kick off 3.00pm