Roseland 19 – St Agnes 12
On Saturday Roseland entertained local rivals St Agnes at Philleigh for the penultimate league game of the 2016/17 season. Needing a win to lift them off the bottom of the table Roseland duly responded on their inaugural “Family Day”.
Roseland kicked off the game playing down the slope and with the wind. In the opening 20 minutes Roseland were all over St Agnes and were looking to avenge for the heavy defeat suffered earlier in the season. Roseland were soon knocking on the Aggie line but inaccuracy and poor concentration prevented any scores. Roseland did eventually gain a 14-0 lead thanks to two converted tries. The opening score came via two old heads, scrum half Tom Day and No8 Nathan Chapman, Day took a quick tap penalty and fed Chapman by who bundled over under the posts.
Fly Half Tommy Whiles, who in recent weeks has been playing flanker, was next to crash his way over the try line after handing off several defenders. Tommy converted both scores.
St Agnes clawed their way back into the the game and after a sustained period of pressure in the Roseland 22 responded with a try of their own in the latter stages of the first half for a half time score of 14-5.
The second half was a much more even affair with both sides battling hard. Roseland could of been made to pay for not capitalising with their earlier possession and territory. This was nearly the case when St Agnes scored the next try after their outside centre intercepted a telegraphed pass from Tommy Whiles to race in for a converted try from the Roseland 22. This made the score line 14-12.
Roseland, determined not to lose, fought tooth and nail to grab another try and after a sustained period of pressure on the St Agnes try line eventually broke the resistance when second row Ed Llewellyn crashed over. Tommy missed the conversion.
This was the end of the scoring but an entertaining game was had by all and the final score read 19-12.
Roseland leap frogged St Agnes and Camborne of School of Mines from 8th to 6th in the league.
CSM finished their league programme at the weekend and are currently bottom. Only St Agnes can climb above Roseland should they pick up any points, and Roseland fail too, this weekend.
Afterwards Roseland had a big photo (see earlier post) with players, wives, children and supporters all posing in their “Pascoe Boatyard” sponsored hoodies showing that Roseland is a true family and community orientated club.
Roseland travel to Newquay on Saturday for the final league game of the 2016-17 season.