This was our second away fixture in a row against teams from the top of the division and today we are at Rossendale, at least it wasn’t raining, neither did we have the advantage of being in their new stand. Wirral had to make changes from the side that had won at Manchester with JAMES ANNETTS not available through illness and MARK PHILLIPS and ROB PEARL both unavailable. BEN LEWIS played at fly half with BEN BROOKS and TOM COLE in the centres. HARRY CROPPER-JOYCE returned to the back row. The subs were DAN CARROL, ALFIE KIMPTON and JOSH STEAD. BEN BROOKES and JOSH STEAD were both earning their 100th game for the first team.
Wirral were playing down the slope in the first half and the opening minutes were spent with teams kicking downfield and not achieving the relevant touch advantage.
On 8 minutes after a series of penalties in Wirral’s favour, a scrum on the Ross line (their put in) enabled the home side to clear before a good run by BEN BROOKES sent RHYS JAMES free only for good defence from the home side preventing a score.
After 20 minutes an injury to CONNOR MOORE, after promising work by him on the field, left the field with a leg/ankle injury and was replaced by JOSH STEAD. At this stage it should be mentioned that Ross had given away a number of penalties, a number for high tackles and thus enabled BEN BROOKES to make good clearances to touch by BEN BROOKES.
On 33 minutes, a well constructed try by the Ross backs including a back pass enabled the home team to score close to the posts and duly converted, 7-0. This was followed by a break from RHYS JAMES but another crucial tackle by Ross enabled the home side to deny Wirral scoring. Pressure continued by Wirral with the penalties they were receiving and a five metre scrum with WIRRAL pressing was brought down deliberately by Ross which resulted in their premier No8 forward being sin binned. On the stroke of half time another short scrum resulted in Wirral moving forward to the line and cross the line with JOE ADNAMS awarded with the try and duly converted by RHYS JAMES. With much injury time being played a further penalty to Wirral was taken from 40m, wide of the posts was taken but just failed to leave the score at half time 7-7. During the first half (48 minutes), Wirral had been awarded at least 11 penalties, many for high tackles and perhaps some of these were possible kickable penalties, which we could have taken at goal to put pressure on the league leaders.
In the second half, ALFIE KIMPTON came on for DAN HARVEY. Immediately Ross changed their game with the intention of passing wide and were showing capability of breaking through with the speedy and larger backs. On 47 mins, Ross take the lead with a penalty from 38m out, 10-7. On 55 mins, the Ross scrum half was sin binned for a high tackle, on 58 mins another penalty enabled Ross to extend their lead from 47m to 13-7.
Wirral were putting pressure on Ross and striving to make progress up the field, however a dropped ball enabled Ross to pick up and attack from long way out, enabling Ross to score their second try, not converted, 18-7, 60 minutes. Wirral came back and a further move left WILL MORRIS tackled just short of the line. However another good break by the Ross backs exposed Wirral and Ross went in for their third try, 23-7. A further Ross kick to the corner flag, however resulted in Wirral surviving this situation until the last minute of the game, the 45th of this half giving Ross their try bonus point to lead 28-7. (The score board showed a different score to that commented on by Ross spectators).
A commendable performance against Ross, the score not reflecting the work put in by this Wirral side (missing out on a number of players this Saturday) but gives the team encouragement for the next home game against Blackburn, next week, 16th November, 2.15pm kick off.
Richard McNeil