Titanic effort is not enough as Rotherham fall a point short
ROTHERHAM, playing their first game outside the two top divisions for more than 20 years since their relegation from the Championship, came within a point of winning after a thrilling second-half recovery.
While the Titans outscored the south-east London side by five tries to four, they had to be content with only two points.
However, considering the match squad contained just one player from last season's Championship team, centre and playercoach Joe Barker, they displayed sufficient potential to suggest a positive campaign.
“I was delighted with the destructive power of our No.8 Seb Nagle-Taylor, who scored a hat-trick of tries,” said Barker.
“Seb has the X-factor which teams need and I also thought our new flyhalf, Callum Irvine, bossed the game and showed the Championship experience he had with Yorkshire Carnegie.
“I am proud of what we did against a good National One team.
“We have a brand new squad and it's going to take a long time to gel, but we showed a lot of effort and character when things didn't go our way.
“I thought we were fitter but we let ourselves down by a lack of discipline and errors.”
Elthamians led 17-0 at one stage but let Rotherham back with tries by by Nagle-Taylor and then fullback Tom Allott.
The Londoners' pack, though, increased their control in the second half to lead by 34-19 as tries by flankers Hamish Barton and Harry Ledger added to the earlier scores from lock Dominic McGeekie and winger Dominic Lespierre.
Towards the end, Elthamians lost some of their authority as the Titans' forwards gradually won ball and territory resulting in a thrilling fightback which produced a second try for Allott
Then, with Elthamians asleep, Nagle-Taylor dashed through to complete his hat-trick in the 13th minute of injury time.
The conversion cut the gap to only one point, but Elthamians had delivered just enough to head south with a maximum of five points, not least thanks to the goal-kicking of fly-half Tom White.
He put over four conversions and two penalties in a tight game.
“I'm delighted but I lost several pounds in the last ten minutes,” said coach Gavin Lach.
“We lost both wingers and a centre , while our back line had a hooker and two back rowers in it.
“I thought our tight head prop, Kieron Scutt, was immense and gave us goforward ball.
“And, in the line out, Fred Hosking was very good indeed.
“We know we had to be on the money against a former Championship club and we were.
“The ambition this season is to finish higher than sixth where we ended up last season. That was an amazing achievement considering it was our first in National One.
“The team spirit is second to none.
“Because of that I am sure we will achieve our aim of improving year on year.”
