Another update from our vice-captain Tom Day (no Chloe doesn’t write these!!)
On Saturday Roseland made the trip down to Redruth to play their penultimate league game of the season. A victory in this game would secure the league title for Roseland with a game to spare. However despite Albanys struggles this season Roseland weren’t taking the game lightly and knew this was a potential banana skin fixture.
Roseland started the match with various players playing out of position and missing a host of other personnel so the players knew they had to start well to try and get on top of Albany. To this effect Roseland had a poor start by messing up the kick off. Unfortunately for Roseland this was a sign of the way the first half would go. The play would be fairly even throughout the first 40 with Albany playing with the wind and the little slope advantage. Roseland were affected by the positional changes and struggled to adapt early on to he referees interpretations of the laws.
Unforced errors by Roseland meant they butchered at least 2 try scoring chances. They also lost Davo Williams to injury so Shaun Eamers stepped back to fly half having filled in on the flank for the late Will Rundle. Another factor that came into play was that unfortunately the game went to uncontested scrums when Albany ran out of front row replacements. With the half bereft of chances and any fluidity Roseland were grateful of the 3 points gathered by the boot of centre Matt Eddy from a penalty. With the half almost at an end centre Eddy found himself the recipient of a yellow card following a deliberate knock on. The half ended with the scores at 3-0 to Roseland. Albany felt very much in the game and Roseland knew that they needed to seriously improve to win.
After a half time rollicking Roseland couldn’t of asked for a better start to the second half, especially being a man down. Although the kick off wasn’t taken cleanly the ball was gathered and recycled and scrum half Tom Day spotted a gap down the blindside and exploited this. From the resultant break Roseland went from inside there own 22 to deep into Albanys 22 to set the tempo for the half.
From the resultant lineout Roseland worked the ball to full back Sam Glanville who crossed the white was after a strong run, however he was deemed to have been held up so the try wasn’t given. From the scrum came the opening try. After several players had made attempts on the Albany line the try was eventually scored by second row Joe Davidson. With both regular kickers off Day took the conversion but missed.
After the opening try Roseland didn’t look back. With a full compliment of players now back on the park Roseland scored a well worked try when the ball was spread across the line and winger Christian Bembow scored in his first appearance for the season. Eddy missed the conversion.
Sammy Glanville finally did legally cross the white wash following more slick hands to score. Eddy converted.
Glanville scored his second after quick hands from a scrum caught the Albany defence napping. Eddy missed the conversion.
The hat trick was completed in style when Glanville gathered the ball on the 22 and used a combination of power, strength and sheer determination to score easily the best of his 3 tries. Eddy converted the score.
With the game having uncontested scrums the game had become very quick with both teams making breaks from the scrums. From one such scrum and break, winger Andy Harris found himself the recipient of the easiest dot down when he received the ball a metre out to touch down for Roselands 6th try. Eddy, who had a very mixed day with the boot, failed to convert again.
Roselands final try came from a searing 40 metre run in. With the ball quickly recycled second row Joe Davidson found himself in possession and having broken the first couple of tackles he pinned his ears back and showed his old winger pace to race in unopposed from 40 metres out and dot down to complete the days scoring. With the score at 42-0 anybody could of forgiven Albany for maybe letting their heads drop, however they didn’t let this happened and they rallied strongly and for the final 5 minutes retained possession and worked there way deep into Roselands 22 and threatened to score. Roseland though held firm and the final whistle came after a handling error by Albany. With the final whistle, and the 5 league points, came the confirmation that Roseland were league champions with a game to spare.
Roselands next task is a cup quarter final match away to Lanner on Easter Saturday before wrapping up league proceedings with a home fixture against Camelford on April 2nd.