Rugby union: Rochdale Under 15s 46 - 0 Blackburn

In the first cup game of the new season, Rochdale met at Blackburn under pleasant weather conditions with a respectfully observed one minute silence to remember the passing of the Queen.  

The team spent the first 7 minutes finding their heads and feet as Blackburn piled on the pressure. Thumping tackles from Oli Husband and Hari Ghattuara amongst others kept us in the game. Having weathered the storm without loss of points, Rochdale got into gear. 

A great counter-ruck from around the halfway line, and Dan Taylor pinged the ball down the line to find Cameron Stretch looping back to break through the Blackburn backs. Charlie Beavan sat on his shoulder and received the offload to finish the remaining yards and score the opener, which with the conversion from Adam Sanderson saw Rochdale lead 7-0.

From the restart, play intensified. Jethro Richards took the ball in the air, charged into their pack and the forwards created a platform for Josh Jakeman to break round the side and charge to the line.  A tackle that looked on the high side meant the referee disallowed his try for being held up, but from the restart in play, Jakeman made swift amends, crossing the line less than two minutes later to claim the points he had thought were his earlier. 

Again from the restart, solid forwards play and out the back of the scrum the ball came down the line. Hard straight running through Beavan and Ben Leaver to release Ethan Miles who pinned his ears back and made it comfortably to the line to register his first score of the day, duly converted again by Sanderson - 19-0. 

The pattern continued .. kick off.  Blackburn chased hard and tried to force their way through Rochdale's back line.  Stretch was immense securing yet another jackal and wrested the ball back. Swift delivery through the backs, offload to Beavan up to the halfway then onto Leaver – no mistake as he comfortably broke through two tackles and steamrollered over to bring the score to 24-0.

The final play of the half and this time Richards received the ball from the kick-off, a powerful drive in the middle of the pitch and 3 of the Blackburn players were sucked in to slow him down. With the subsequent space created and still driving forward, Miles was again the grateful recipient and made no mistake to race once again down the field and score his secomnd of the day.  The half concluded 29-0.

In cup games the margin of difference cannot exceed 40 points, so Rochdale started the second 30 minutes knowing they had to register a further 11 points without reply to secure the victory. 

Blackburn had different ideas and launched a furious assault which saw Rochdale pinned within their 5 metre channel, holding the ball up once over the line and tackling like demons to stop the onslaught. Rochdale's defence held firm and a knock on from Blackburn meant we secured a scrum. 

The ball flew downfield courtesy of Beavan and Leaver, Isaac Corns on hand to take the ball down the final third of the pitch and offload to Will Brown who was running a superb supporting line to cross the line.  34-0. 

There then followed probably one the best team handling tries with a delightful interplay of passes from the initial break by James Richardson, and then 3 sublime passes from Beavan to Leaver, back to Beavan and over the line.  39-0. 

Minutes later a deserved bruising forwards move saw Josh Jakeman claim the winning margin points, Sanderson making no mistake with the conversion to see the cup game conclude 46-0. 

A sublime team effort with Men of the Match plaudits going to Miles and Richards, although the whole team had delivered the result. 

The score-line doesn't reflect the efforts and skill-set Blackburn put in and they are a team Rochdale should not underestimate in future encounters. The unbeaten season continues.