Rugby union round-up: Rotherham Titans edge out Hull Ionians, Sheffield Tigers complete stunning comeback

Rotherham Titans edged to victory in a top of the table National Two North clash at Yorkshire rivals Hull Ionians.
Wasps' Mike Le Bourgeois tackled by Northampton Saints' Fraser Dingwall during their Gallagher Premiership match on Sunday. Wasps won 26-20. Picture: PAWasps' Mike Le Bourgeois tackled by Northampton Saints' Fraser Dingwall during their Gallagher Premiership match on Sunday. Wasps won 26-20. Picture: PA
Wasps' Mike Le Bourgeois tackled by Northampton Saints' Fraser Dingwall during their Gallagher Premiership match on Sunday. Wasps won 26-20. Picture: PA

Both sides were tied on 21 points and joint top heading into the match, and both enjoyed some good spells of rugby which put them into the lead in a highly entertaining seven-try match at Brantingham Park.

It was the hosts who got off the mark first. After an early penalty miss, stand-off Ben Smith kicked one on seven minutes, and then was on target with the conversion following prop Ben Bell’s 23rd-minute try which put Ionians 10-0 ahead.

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The Titans hit back five minutes later though, scrum-half Matthew Drennan touching down – although the conversion was missed.

Centre Jack Townsend’s 35th-minute try put the East Yorkshire side further ahead with Smith’s conversion making it 17-5.

However, Rotherham came out for the second half in determined mood and scored 22 unanswered points which would ultimately see them to victory.

Centre Richard Hayes raced in on 44 minutes, and No 8 Callum Bustin added another 10 minutes later, Hayes converting to level the scores at 17-17.

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Replacement Theo Nwoshu-Hope crashed over on 69 minutes, and Hayes added the conversion and a penalty on 70 minutes to take the Titans’ lead to 27-17. Ionians’ wing forward George Mewburn pulled back a try in the final minute and Smith converted, but it wasn’t enough for the win of the four-try bonus, leaving them with just one point from a losing bonus.

Sheffield Tigers scored three tries in the final 20 minutes to secure a 19-17 comeback victory at home against Bournville.

They were trailing 17-0 on the hour mark, before three tries ensured the win.

Full-back Greg Mellor was first to score, touching down in the corner. Flanker Angus Hughes broke through and raced in to score under the posts, Mark Ireland converting, and George Anderson also scored a try to take the lead.

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Bournville saw a penalty attempt bounce off the posts in the dying seconds to deny them the win and leave Tigers breathing a sigh of relief.

Hull maintained their push up the table with a 26-19 victory over Loughborough Students.

A first-half penalty try got them off the mark, awarded as they went for a pushover, and five minutes later winger Duell Trueman touched down in the corner for a 12-0 lead.

The Students hit back to level at 12-12 at half time, but Hull stepped up a gear in the second half with their forwards dominating.

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Replacement Mike Jobling touched down on 48 minutes and stand-off Simon Humberstone added the conversion, and just after the hour mark centre Steve Johnson’s try was improved by full-back Steve McColl to take the four-try victory.

Leading just before half time, Wharfedale conceded seven unanswered second half tries to lose out 48-18 at Fylde.

Stand-off Jack Blakeney-Edwards kicked a penalty for the visitors and, after Fylde had scored a converted try, he added a penalty and converted full-back Harry Bullough’s try to take a 13-7 lead.

However, Fylde hit back with seven tries to lead 48-13, rendering replacement Owen 
Bullock’s late try just a consolation.

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Huddersfield scored first and last in their clash at Stourbridge, but it wasn’t enough to stop them losing out 61-22.

Winger Arthur Wilkinson touched down after just four minutes for the Yorkshire side, who then conceded eight tries to their hosts.

Hooker Liam Stapley’s 46th-minute try narrowed the gap a little at 54-10.

A ninth try put Stourbridge 61-10 ahead, and although scrum-half Jonathan Mason and winger Elliott Knight scored late tries for Huddersfield it was no more than a consolation.

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