Scully supreme
THE T word has joined the P word at Dore Moor this week.
An appearance at Twickenham looms ever closer as Sheffield Tigers sealed a quarter-final place in the EDF Energy Intermediate Cup with a 25-16 victory over fellow North One side Middlesbrough.
The draw has also been kind to them, with a home date against Shropshire club Newport on Saturday, February 28.
The question now is, can Tigers make it a Cup and League double?
They're currently third in the table, two points behind second-placed Hull, who they visit next week, and four adrift of leaders Westoe who they've still to play. Beverley are the visitors tomorrow and Tigers will be looking to keep the pressure on.
TIGERS are daring to dream of Twickenham after they came out on top in a competitive cup game on a bleak and windy day- is it ever anything else at Dore Moor?
In truth the score was closer than it should have been as they led 22 -0 at half time – taking advantage of the local conditions as Middlesbrough elected to play into the wind, writes Mark Finnigan.
The second half was a different game of rugby as the home side went off the boil and the visitors inched their way slowly into contention – a veritable game of two halves to use a well worn clich.
Tigers' first meaningful ball brought a score. Clean ball at the line out and a quick off-load to Alex Drage surprised the visitors and the scrum half made a telling break through the Middlesbrough midfield. Ashley Rockey shadowed him and was in a perfect position for a pass when Drage ran into trouble. The back row forward crossed the line with ease and gave Charlie Spon-Smith a simple conversion.
Middlesbrough proved to be no pushovers despite the early setback. They competed at the scrum – something a dominant Tigers pack has not been used to this season - and they were also solid at the line out. Their downfall was their endemic ability to knock on at crucial times, admittedly in difficult conditions.
On 18 minutes Tigers extended their lead and yet again this season it was the genius of Dave Scully that created the chance. The fly half received slow ball and facing a packed open side defence elected to go blind with a searing horizontal run which took Middlesbrough completely by surprise. He then straightened and released to Gareth Morley who went in at the corner for an unconverted try.
Ten minutes later 'Biffa' Pearson broke off the back of the scrum and sailed through the defence. Spon-Smith supported and provided a deft pass inside for Jimmy Pearson who running from deep and at a perfect angle gave the visiting defence no chance and scored a converted try.
A penalty from the ubiquitous Spon-Smith made the half time score 22 – 0.
The second half seemed a different game as Tigers took on the mantle of error kings.
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Letters Middlesbrough got in the game when fly half O’Farrell slotted three quick penalties in the space of 10 minutes as the men from Dore Moor displayed a stunning lack of discipline and poor decision making.
The one man who seemed immune to the stupor was Scully who provided the first exciting moment of the half with another quicksilver break.
They got themselves back in the game with a Spon-Smith penalty after 70 minutes but the game had a nerve-jangling finish when a Tigers’ attack found Gareth Morley exposed and stripped of the ball. Young England hopefully Peter Wright took his chance and went three quarters the length of the field for a converted try.
Tigers finally wised up and closed the game out.
Verdict: Great first half but a dire second half. The conditions at Dore Moor were very difficult for a side playing into the wind or maybe it’s also a bit of nerves as the chance of Twickenham gets a little closer. An earlier Cup game against Morley saw a similar theme - scintillating play in the first half followed by a team almost AWOL in the second. Hopefully it’s just coincidence and not a trait.
Team: Toews, Price, Bunting, Joel (Capt), Gross, Rockey, Barrett, Pearson N, Drage, Scully, Bowman, Spon Smith, Bray, Morley, Pearson J. Replacements: McMillan, Evans, Bastock, Pearson N.
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Weather for Sheffield
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
