REPORT BY: NICK DOYLE

ON a warm Saturday afternoon, Jason Moss led his team out at Cross Green to mark his 200th league appearance for Otley and to celebrate his side put on a great performance against second-placed Rotherham Titans.

Once the game started it was punctuated by territorial kicking in an attempt to get an advantage, Sam Taylor nearly gathering the ball in the visitor’s half. However, Otley conceded a penalty just inside their 10-metre line, with Rotherham kicking for the corner. The Titans’ pack had three attempts to try and get over Otley’s line, before the ball was swung out to fly-half Will Milner who barged his way past a defender to score after six minutes.

Otley had much of the ball and were playing some positive rugby although it was being contained by the Rotherham defence. Rotherham went offside at a line-out on their 10-metre line, giving Joe Rowntree a kicking opportunity but that went wide with Rotherham then kicking it into Otley’s half. Five minutes later Rowntree had another attempt, again on the 10-metre line, and this time it was successful.

Spurred on by the points Otley continued to press the Titans. However, Otley also conceded a penalty at a line-out putting Rotherham in the hosts’ half. Rotherham moved the ball across the pitch where Otley conceded again, the visitors going for the left corner. In the ensuing melee, Otley regained possession with Eddie Crossland kicking to touch.

In the subsequent attack a grubber kick went dead, but Rotherham had a penalty in the bag which Richard Hayes took from Otley’s 22 giving him his first points of the day just before the half-hour mark. A 50-22 put Rotherham 15 metres from the Otley line, and after 11 phases Callum Bustin forced his way over close to the posts with Hayes having an easy conversion.

Having restarted and then gathered Rotherham’s return kick, Otley moved the ball out to right where Ben Dinsdale made metres. Now working the ball to the left, Ben Waddington’s long pass to Taylor gave him a 20-metre run which he made, stretching out his arm to score in the corner. Rowntree added the conversion.

Otley rebuffed Titans’ next attack a penalty taking them back in the opposition half. They got close to the 5-metre line before the ball went into touch, the referee coming back for a penalty some 15 metres out. Rowntree’s kick made the half-time score 15-13 in favour of the visitors.

Otley spent the next 20 minutes playing the majority of the game in Rotherham’s half. During this period Rowntree had a long-range attempt at goal followed by one on the 22, but they weren’t successful.  It finally came to an end when they came in at the side at a breakdown, and as Titans’ pack moved slowly forward Otley conceded again, putting Rotherham within touching distance.

 From the left-hand side, their forwards crabbed their way beyond the posts before Harry Newborn found the elusive gap, Hayes getting the conversion.

The emphasis of the game turned to Otley’s half, Otley failing to roll away at the breakdown after Newborn’s run, the kick going to the left corner. Again, the Rotherham forwards brought the ball to the posts, it then went wide with Hayes diving over to score, which he then converted.

Otley continued to press Rotherham half but an intercept pass by replacement Will Metcalfe just inside the Otley half saw him run to the corner posts with defenders trailing after him, his try taking the final score to 34-13 to Rotherham.

Otley are again at Cross Green this Saturday when they play the rescheduled game against Preston Grasshoppers. Kick-off is at 2.15pm.