Leake doubles up in Titans fightback
Rotherham T ..41
B Stortford……35
ROTHERHAM winger Dan Leake scored two exciting tries as the Titans finished their home season on a winning note during a ten-try thriller at Clifton Lane.
In an entertaining contest, in which both teams scored five tries, Leake’s opportunism stood out as he grabbed openings on 17 and 43 minutes as Rotherham, after a poor first half, recovered from being 21-14 behind.
Bishop’s Stortford capitalised on weak defending to score three excellent tries by winger Chris Smith, centre Reuben Bird-Tulloch and scrumhalf Tom Banks, but the Titans then fought back to control most of the second period.
Hooker Jack Bergmanas completed a counter-attack from the restart, Leake sprinted over for his second and then Rotherham led 36-28 as lock Dan Preston-Routledge, out on the wing, dashed through for their fifth.
However, the Hertfordshire club, continued to attack exemplified by fullback Nick Hankin, and the award of a penalty try, plus a second by the alert Bird-Tulloch and Banks’ fourth conversion, slashed Rotherham’s lead to only 38-35.
In a tense climax, the Titans benefited from a knock-on and the award of a penalty which scrum-half Alex Dolly put over to seal victory.
TEAMS
ROTHERHAM TITANS: Allan, Leake, Cooke, Barker, Field, Irvine, Dolly, Richardson, Bergmanas, Dennis, Preston-Routledge, Frost, Ball, Poole, Nagle-Taylor.
Replacements: Thomson, Stout, Keys, Dever, Dunne.
BISHOP’S STORTFORD: Hankin, Duff, Bird-Tulloch, Scantlebury, Smith, Cappaert, T.Banks, Brownhill, King, Harrison-Price, McCraith, Tomlinson, Apperley, R.Banks, Ball. Replacements: Caulfield, McCrone, Jones, Hitchcock, Coleman.
REFEREE: Jack Lewars
ATTENDANCE: 547
Star man
Dan Leake – Rotherham
