By Stefan
April 28 2006

THE ACADEMY UNDER NINETEENS lost to a Nottingham Academy side 17-10 in a tight evening game played under floodlights at Ireland Avenue.

"So we lost, but only just, and we've shown Rotherham can compete against bigger sides." That was the players' verdict after a confident performance from the Clifton Lane side.

Rotherham came so close to pulling off a victory against a largely bigger and older side, and there's no doubt Craig West's side will improve given the commitment and skill shown yesterday.

Hopes of a win looked strong after a terrific first-half display when Rotherham deservedly led 10-0 thanks to a try from scrum-half Tom Baker and a conversion and penalty by flyhalf Jonny West.

Rotherham's tackling and defence were solid, so much so that Nottingham's powerful pack was prevented from playing in the Rotherham 22 for most of the game.

Nottingham, heavy-handed and aggressive, had the upper hand in the set piece. They dominated the lineout throughout the game yet - thanks to Rotherham's superb defence qualities - they were unable to establish a useful platform from which to launch any attacks until the final quarter when the home side's seventeen unanswered point gave them the game.

Rotherham's pack survived an awkward opening and then started winning useful ball to dominate territory. Scrum-half Tom Baker was performing confidently and the mid-field axis of West and inside centre Sam Rogers looked incisive too.

Rotherham's positive and sharp first-half effort gathered more momentum and on 20 minutes the forwards, on the attack, won possession near Nottingham's 22 and eventually Will Crossley released outside centre Tom Outram who stormed a full 20 metres towards the try-line. He was brought down just short of a score and managed to skilfully off-load to the on-rushing Tom Baker who crashed over for Rotherham's try.

It was a fully deserved score, and with it Rotherham seized the lead. Jonny West's conversion gave them a seven-point advantage.

At this stage the visitors were in control. A penalty goal by West on 26 minutes further extended the lead to give a ten-point advantage at the break.

In the second half Rotherham's territorial dominance continued but the turning point in the game came with 24 minutes to go.

Nottingham's bigger pack, strengthened by substitutions, was responsible. After long periods of pressure following several scrums they forced a try in the Rotherham right corner. The difficult conversion, followed by a penalty and second converted try - four minutes from the end - gave the home side the lead.

Rotherham responded in the dying minutes and mounted considerable pressure on the Nottingham line. Substitute prop, under-21 Matt Dixon, crashed over twice near the posts in the dying moments only to be denied by the unsighted Referee who had similarly denied a Will Crossley effort earlier in the second half.

Rotherham U-19:
15 Matt Terrett; 14 Dave Sims (Rhys Jackson 35), 13 Tom Outram, 12 Sam Rodgers, 11 Aaron Barker; 10 Jonny West, 9 Tom Baker (Rhys Moon 35); 1 Andrew Goodwin (Tom Doughty 33), 2 Anthony Ross (Steve Maycock 65), 3 Jonathon McMillan (Matt Dixon 35), 4 Will Crossley, 5 Danny Collins (John Simpson 35), 6 Steve Maycock (Andrew Evans 35), 7 Jonathon Bishop (Ryan Donelly 35), 8 James Waterhouse (Andrew Morse 65).

Rotherham Scorers:
Tom Baker (T), Jonny West (PC).