Rotherham Titans 20 Plymouth Albion 8: Keeping minds in focus is crucial for the Titans

The growing pains of a developing team were evident at Clifton Lane on Saturday as lacklustre Rotherham Titans claimed an uninspiring victory.

After lacerating Bristol, Bedford and London Welsh in recent times, expectations have been raised dramatically in South Yorkshire.

So when they throw in a performance as unadventurous as this one against a side entrenched in the relegation battle, it can come as a surprise.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But as everyone from head coach Andre Bester to full-back Tom Foden was saying afterwards, it was all about the result.

In Rotherham’s defence, it is the mark of a good team when they win when not playing at full pelt.

Yet what was maddening about this Titans performance was that for the first 20 minutes, they were exactly that – full throttle.

Two tries to the good and dominant, the scoreboard operator was set for a busy day.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But then they stopped stretching Plymouth, stopped driving at the heart of their defence and settled for merely doing enough to claim the win.

The Titans dumbed down their performance to the level of Plymouth’s – a trap they need to stop falling into it.

“We were brilliant for 20 minutes, but it then became too easy and we got caught playing at Plymouth’s game,” explained Bester.

“Because of the wind and the rain, we knew it was going to be a tough game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“But after the start we made we should have had the bonus point by half-time.

“We’ve had this problem since the Bristol match. Mentally, things come too easy.

“As people we are starting to achieve something and sometimes you need to understand that you have to keep your feet on the ground.

“It became so easy against Bristol, Moseley, London Welsh that we were putting 40 points on each team.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“When it becomes too easy we go away from what’s working, and that’s the mentality of a team that is still developing.

“We are still a work in progress, and that is as much physical as it is mental for the players.

“We will be more focussed come play-off time and there’s no doubt playing at Bedford (promotion-rivals) will focus our minds next week.”

Foden, the elder brother of England full-back Ben and another of Bester’s bargain buys from the scrapheap he so often does his close-season shopping from, added: “At the end of the day we got the win and we’re still unbeaten at home.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We’d all love to run around and destroy sides but sometimes it’s not called for, especially with the high winds today.

“We didn’t stick to what we were doing and that’s the reason why we didn’t kick on and get the bonus point.”

Rotherham were coasting after sweeping into a 14-0 lead inside 16 minutes.

Prop Rob O’Donnell found a gap to scurry over and then after being slowed at the breakdown, Rotherham went through the gears quickly as Shane Monahan and Garry Law combined to set Edward Tellwright in motion in acres of space on the right.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Law converted both but then Rotherham slipped the gearstick into neutral.

Flanker Sean Dougall was sin-binned for not rolling away and Rotherham’s impetus seemed to follow him off the pitch.

In a side note, Bester expressed afterwards his frustration at the growing inconsistency in the refereeing of the breakdown in recent weeks.

Emboldened by the extra man, prop David Morton crossed for Albion but when parity was restored in the ranks they no longer had the guile to break down the Titans, who were content to merely keep the Devonians at arm’s length.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Law kicked two penalties to James Love’s one in the second half, and the closest they came to a third try was when Semisi Taulava was held up at the death by a brilliant, despairing tackle from Steven Johns.

“I was happy at the end of it,” said Bester. “The second half was dire because we were closing down the match. It’s an important win because it keeps us in contention for a top-four spot.”

As well as plotting this season’s promotion bid, Bester may have to start looking at the composition of his squad for the next campaign earlier than he would have wanted with whispers on Saturday that explosive flanker Robin Copeland has attracted the attention of a host of Premiership clubs. Worcester are believed to be the first to have expressed an interest in the Irishman. They will not, though, be able to make a formal approach until March.

Rotherham Titans: Foden, Tellwright, McCall, Nonu, Monahan (Hodgson 72), Law, Rhodes (Williams 68); Kilbane (Cahill 52), Stagg (Baines 52), O’Donnell (Hooper 77), Maddison, Griffiths (Dickinson 52), Copeland, Dougall, Taulava. Unused replacement: Kirwan.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Plymouth Albion: Love, McGrath, Armitage, Fisilau, Johns, Lee (Bailey 52), Cushion; Morton Cowan-Dickie 40), Evans, Hopkins (Dugard 58), Collier, Hotson, Stephen, Hocking, Carpenter. Unused replacements: Rowley, Freestone.

Referee: P Knowles (RFU).

Related topics: