South Wales Scorpions 30 - 28 Rochdale Hornets

Date published: 29 April 2013


Head coach Ian Talbot will certainly be taking a look at the video of Sunday's Kingstone Press Championship One defeat to South Wales Scorpions in Neath after questioning whether the killer try for the Welshmen should have, in fact, been called for a knock-on.

It was heartbreak for the Hornets as they endured the long journey back from South West Wales to contemplate losing a game they had in their grasp.

The defeat was self-inflicted as Hornets had a weak first-half that saw the Scorpions race to a 24-10 lead at the break but then bounced back and were in front 28-24, and dominating the match only for one play to leave them stunned.

Tries from Daniel Davies and excellent prop John Cookson in the first-half kept Hornets within sight of the Scorpions, who went over via wing David James, a Welsh international, young hooker Connor Farrer, full-back Jack Murphy and, right on the half-time whistle, prop Greg Burke got the fourth.

Two Wayne English tries in 12 minutes brought the Hornets right back into a match in which they had the Scorpions by the scruff of the neck. Only good home defence and errors from Hornets denied them a more comfortable victory.

English was a constant threat to the Welshmen and the half-backs, captain Steven Roper and stand-off Paul Crook, looked to control matters behind a pack which, once they got themselves going, were tremendous in the rucks, especially Cookson and his co-prop Warren Thompson.

Hornets bashed and smashed the home defence as they dominated territory but just couldn't find the score that would take them into the lead for the first time in the match until 12 minutes from the end when a neat kick-through over the Scorpions try line saw wing James fumble a wet ball, with the drizzle coming down, and Hornets wing Dave Hull seize his moment.

Hull was mobbed by his colleagues as Hornets took the lead. Crook's fourth conversion out of five attempts put the Hornets into a four-point lead and looking all but home and, if not dry, then safe.

That was until they lost the plot in the final minutes and let the Scorpions into their half. A set of six took the Welshman to within feet of scoring but a Hornets penalty gave them one last set to gain an unlikely win.

Farrer drove into Cookson from two feet out near the posts but seemed to knock-on. For a split second, everyone froze - everyone but South Wales stand-off Kristian Hawkes who picked up and went over. Even then, most people expected the referee to call the play back but he pointed to the ground, awarded the try to level matters and an easy goal gave the Scorpions an unlikely victory.

Hornets head coach Ian Talbot said afterwards: "We let ourselves down in the first-half and that came back to haunt us in that last play. I don't think we deserved that.

"We were poor in the first-half. The conditions were against us and they had a good amount of ball.

"We spoke at half-time about what we needed to do in the second-half and we came out and made a fist of it.

"We were very good around the fringes and the rucks but one or two decisions went against us and I would like to see that last try because I thought it was a knock-on. But it is the officials that matter and they gave the try and we lost the points. We were one play away from winning the game."

Now Talbot has to pick his side up for a crack at the other Welsh team in Championship One next week when they take on table-topping North Wales Crusaders.

He added: "That is a big game and almost a must-win game if we want to win the competition this year."


South Wales Scorpions
1. Jack Murphy 2. David James 3. Shae Lyon-Fraser 4. Haydn Peacock
5. Dalton Grant 6. Kristian Hawkes 7. Sam Powell 8. Joe Burke 9. Connor Farrer 15. James Greenwood 11. Greg Burke 12. James Tutuila
13. Ashley Bateman
Subs 20. Samir Tahraoui 10. Scott Taylor 16. Steve Parry 17. Harrison Elliott

Tries: David James, Connor Farrar, Jack Murphy, Greg Burke, Kristian Hawkes

Goals: Jack Murphy 5/5

Rochdale Hornets
1. Wayne English 2. Gareth Langley 16. Daniel Davies 23. Dave Hull 17. Martin Warring 6. Paul Crook 7. Steve Roper 8. John Cookson 9.
Alex McClurg 10. Warren Thompson 11. Chris Baines 14. Alex Trumper 26. Dave Llewellyn
Subs 20. Joe Bate 31. Chris Hough 13. Jordan Case 29. Carl Forster

Tries: Daniel Davies, John Cookson, Wayne English (2), Dave Hull

Goals: Paul Crook 4/5

Referee: Warren Turley

Half time: South Wales Scorpions 24 Rochdale Hornets10

Pens: South Wales Scorpions 8 Rochdale Hornets 4

Attendance: 267

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