Rotherham 40 Carnegie 15: Blackett’s proudest moment as Titans win derby

If this was to be the last time these two derby rivals met at Clifton Lane, then Rotherham Titans could not have wished for a better conclusion.
Rotherham Titans' Jack Preece under pressure from Carnegie's players. Picture Scott MerryleesRotherham Titans' Jack Preece under pressure from Carnegie's players. Picture Scott Merrylees
Rotherham Titans' Jack Preece under pressure from Carnegie's players. Picture Scott Merrylees

A resounding win that puts their play-off fortunes back in their own hands and dents their opponents’ aspirations; and a performance that restores self-belief among players as well as filling fans, and the head coach, with enormous pride.

There may be an impasse in trying to find a resolution to the lease issue that threatens to make them homeless – with options in the town almost exhausted and a new home in Sheffield looking increasingly likely – but at least for the immediate future they have a play-off place to chase.

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Yorkshire Carnegie, by contrast, will be glad to be rid of county derbies this season, and this campaign, in truth.

Since taking the name of Yorkshire in the summer, the team formerly known as Leeds have lost home and away in the Championship to Doncaster, and now Rotherham.

The name change was never about suggesting they were the No 1 team in the region, but if you wear the White Rose on your shirt then it comes with certain responsibilities and increased expectation.

It has also proven to be a huge target on their chest, one Doncaster and Rotherham have revelled in shooting at.

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Never was this more emphatic than the second half on Saturday as Lee Blackett’s Titans used the wind advantage to turn a hard-earned 13-5 interval lead into a crushing win.

They ran in four tries, two at the very end for full-back Sean Scanlon, who had the freedom of Rotherham to dot down.

Carnegie by then were dispirited and beaten, only captain Ryan Burrows deserves to walk tall this morning. All three of the visitors’ tries were scored by the former Titan, who, as well being one of their best players, remains their most committed.

Carnegie have some promising youngsters coming through, not least the three England Under-20s players who returned to club duty, but not even Jack Walker, Paul Hill or Josh Bainbridge were immune from Yorkshire’s constant indiscipline.

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Hill was in the sin-bin 10 minutes into the second half when Rotherham stamped their authority, flanker Jack Preece scoring the second of his two tries either side of half-time from the back of a maul.

“They were more forward tries than just my tries,” said the West Countryman, whose first score came after Michael Keating had touched down in the corner from a pass by James McKinney, in the Titans’ first attack.

“It’s credit to all the forwards, it was just me who got on the end of it. It was our best performance of the season because we knew we had to be on top of our game.”

Rotherham’s game-management and defence was excellent, as was the kicking out of hand from McKinney.

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The fly-half converted only one of six tries, but crucially conquered the wind with two penalties that kept Rotherham on top.

His kicking out of hand never let Carnegie come up for air and a sumptuous grubber into the corner found Curtis Wilson, who dived on the ball for the bonus-point clinching score.

It was the least Wilson deserved for a performance that exemplified Rotherham’s committed kick-chase.

“The way we managed the game was great,” enthused Blackett. “And the key to it was our first-half performance into a really strong wind.

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“In my two-and-a-half years – and with everything that has gone on recently – I’ve never been more proud as a head coach.

“We talked before the game about believing we can get into the top four and that this would be the game to kick us on and the boys bought into it and we showed what we’re capable of. We’ve put ourselves in a position where it’s back in our hands.”

Rotherham Titans: Scanlon, Keating, Davies, Harris, Wilson, McKinney (Barrett 77), White; Hislop (Williams 66), Cruse (Sowrey 62), Tampin (Thiede 62), Maddison, Robinson, Rieder, Preece, (Birch 66), Morris (Holmes 58). Unused replacement: Cooke.

Yorkshire Carnegie: Geourgiou, Doherty, Goss, Lucock, Holmes, Grimoldby (Leonard 49), Egerton; Beech (Hill 40), Walker (Nilsen 62), Tideswell (Imiolek 62), Ellis, Jones, Williams (Smith 62), Bainbridge (Walker 62), Burrows. Unused replacement: Slowik.

Referee: S Harding (RFU).