Experienced hunters Rotherham Titans have scent of blood in their nostrils again
Harvey Biljon is not the type to look too far into the future or to read too closely into results outside of the control of Rotherham Titans, and as much as his players will be instructed to sing from the same hymn sheet, the sense of history perhaps repeating itself is too hard to ignore.
Last season, Rotherham set a relentless pace in pursuit of Leeds Tykes in National Two North before ambushing them at Clifton Lane in April and overtaking them to win promotion by season’s end.
Fast forward 12 months and although Rotherham have been a step behind the Rams and Richmond at the top of the third tier for much of the season, they have been given a glimmer of hope by a rival from across the Pennines.
For on each of the past two weekends Sale FC have welcomed the division’s top two and sent them packing; Richmond 32-18 a fortnight ago, Rams 25-22 seven days later.
If further proof were needed that Rotherham have the whiff of blood in their nostrils, they beat Sale 23-17 at Clifton Lane a week before Richmond went up to Manchester. Titans did lose at Sale in September.
It leaves Rotherham still in third place and five points behind the leading duo, but crucially with a game in hand. That is still to come, until then their demanding director of rugby Biljon will be expecting nothing short of maximum focus for today’s visit of second-bottom Leicester Lions.
In National Two North, the top two of Leeds Tykes and Sheffield RUFC meet next week in an eagerly-anticipated clash, before which they have to overcome Yorkshire derbies today; Tykes visiting Wharfedale and Sheffield hosting Hull.