Sheffield Tigers 26 v Fylde 33: match report by Simon Taylor
The Fylde players arrive on the pitch
Fylde picked up their second successive road trip success and their third win on the trot as they shaded another tight tussle with Sheffield Tigers at Dore Moor, a tough place to take anything home from. Two fine tries from winger Ben Turner book-ended touchdowns by Corey Bowker, Lewis Quinn, and man of the match Patrick Bishop, who knocked over 4 conversions. This allowed the Woodlands outfit to bring home 5 valuable league points, which moved them up to 4th place in the league. The Tigers were well worth their 2 losing bonus points, and were pushing hard for the try which could have earnt them a draw until an excellent last play of the game turnover penalty win by Sam Stott saw Fylde secure an excellent victory.
Playing with the slope but into a stiff wind, Fylde started well and dominated possession and territory in the first quarter. The early penalties went their way, their accuracy was good and phased play had the Tigers pinned back for a long spell. However, resolute and steely defence saw the home team repel Fylde’s attempts to break them down, and they cleared their lines by picking off any isolated Fylde runners to earn the penalty for holding on if Fylde’s clear-out crew did not get to the breakdown quick enough.
The score board was a double doughnut until nearly the half hour mark, when back-to-back penalties gave the Tigers a free ride up the field and a 5-yard scrum. Their muscular pack pressurised Fylde into another penalty, the scrum was chosen again, and this time Fylde could not halt the shove, number 8 Tom Calladine touching down. Mark Ireland, the regular fly half and oft times scourge of Fylde in the past, was out injured, but his deputy Will Baker converted and after having all the early pressure Fylde found themselves 7-0 down. They then hit the player in the air at the re-start, the penalty was kicked to touch, and Tigers set up a move in the backs. It looked like they had created an overlap, but the long pass was read by Ben Turner and his gamble paid off as he intercepted and raced 70 yards for Fylde’s first score. Bishop missed his only kick of the day into the strong wind, but Fylde were on the board at 7-5 down.
A loose carry near Fylde’s own 22 gifted the ball back to Sheffield, and their nippy and strong scrum-half Ryan Holmes fended off the guard tackle with a big ‘don’t argue’ and scooted in under the posts, Baker converting to stretch the lead to 14-5. Back came Fylde as they put the phases together again and forced a line out 20 out.
New hooker Tom Davis, who had another fine game in only his second start, hit Matt Garrod for off the top ball and Fylde tested the home defence’s resolve once again. This time they were able to breach it when Corey Bowker, a regular top notch 80-minute all-action prop for Fylde, picked a great line with a hard carry to crash over under the posts, Bishop converting for 14-12.
From being scoreless for half an hour there had been 4 tries in a short space of time, and there was time for one more right on the break, and it went to Fylde again. After a strong line break by skipper Toby Harrison, Fylde recycled quickly, and Bishop, sensing that the Tigers defence hadn’t had time to get their shape back, showed the pass right and left but then kept the ball himself, forcing through the gap to go over. He converted himself, and Fylde had the edge at the break, 19-14 up.
Fylde were able to forge further ahead on 48 minutes. Good tidying by Oli Trippier set the platform, the ball was spun wide, and wing forward Lewis Quinn was lurking out wide to sell a half dummy and go over. A lovely touchline conversion from Bishop followed and Fylde had scored 3 unanswered tries to stretch 26-14 ahead. However, if they thought that was it, they were made to think again. It is well known you can’t tie a tiger down, let alone 15 of them, and these Tigers were desperate to put in a much-improved performance after a heavy defeat the week before at Chester, as they searched for their first win of the season.
Back they roared, and on 64 minutes they forced Fylde into touch in their own half. From the line out they worked a neat move around the front of the line out and raced down the narrow channel. A last-ditch tackle was all in vain as Will Wallace picked up at the next play and found space to get in at the corner, unconverted but the Tigers had clawed their way back into it and were just 7 behind at 26-19 down. Not content with that they struck again just 2 minutes later. Playing with a penalty advantage they created space on the edge and long-serving centre Jamie Broadley ran the support line inside to go under the posts. Baker converted and suddenly it was all square at 26 apiece.
Fylde needed to steady the ship. With less than 15 minutes left the next score could be the decider. Tigers had their tails up and were getting the penalties but crucially, they kicked one of these dead when going for the 5-yard lineout and misfired at a couple of line outs in Fylde’s 22. Runners getting ever so slightly isolated and holding on giving penalties away was a theme of the day for both teams and Tom Davis won another key penalty for Fylde. Bishop booted them up field, Garrod provided more good line out ball, the pack earnt the hard yards to tie the defence in and Bishop fed Sam Stott on a hard line, with Stott managing to free his arms in the tackle and offload to Ben Turner, who had run the supporting line in off his wing, and he went under the posts for his second try of the day. Bishop converted, and Fylde had got a 7-point lead back as they went 33-26 up, with 7 minutes left.
The final knockings were nervy, as the Tigers launched a last series of assaults on the Fylde line, forcing penalties, a team warning, and then a yellow card on 78 minutes for Dave Fairbrother for an over robust highland fling as Fylde defended desperately. The last action saw Sheffield’s strong running wing forward Josh Redfern pound towards the Fylde line from a tap and go, with the Fylde pack standing firm and then Stott earning the final and most precious jackal steal penalty of the day as he got his hands on the ball and held firm. Bishop tapped the penalty to himself and rather gently nudged it out of play, the only gentle thing about a fierce but highly entertaining contest, a great advert for National League 2 North rugby.
Ben Turner had a fine game and took his tries well and Cam Smith put in a good display in his first start deputising for the injured Freddie Reader, who Fylde hope will be back soon. Jordan Dorrington was Mr Reliable as ever, Alex Gaughan had a solid game at scrum half and Patrick Bishop is growing in confidence with every game as he gets used to the pace and physicality of the game at this level. Alex Clayton provides a second playmaker option at 12 and is a neat and tidy player, whose partnership with Sam Stott is developing nicely.
Young hooker Tom Davis has an all-court game of high quality, and his line out throwing is spot on, something Matt Garrod is clearly relishing. After a tough start at the other Sheffield in game 1 and a bad day at Lymm the new faces are gelling with the more familiar ones, and the re-vamped squad is creating its identity under coaches Chris Briers and Alex Loney. It is a pleasure to see veteran warhorse Dave Fairbrother back playing rugby again and adding to his already impressive career yellow card count after missing, and being sorely missed, for most of last season. He, Toby Harrison and Pete Altham must be enjoying having more hard-running and hard-hitting specimens alongside them in the pack, with the addition of the likes of Mike Walton, Lewis Quinn, Gregg Morgan, Ben Dorrington and Oli Trippier.
Coach Briers commented; ‘This was another excellent away win. The lads could have become disappointed after not capitalising on a great start and then falling behind. We produced some good stuff to get into a 14-point lead, but the Tigers are a tough team and forced us into a sticky spell when they got back on level terms. We showed good spirit to get our noses back in front and hold on at the end under some severe pressure. We showed we have flair but also grit and character, and whilst we are still a work in progress, we are happy with how the new squad is developing and will look to keep improving week by week.’
Fylde will look to keep their winning run going as they face Harrogate at home next week, who got their first win of the season at the weekend, then Tynedale away, who are still looking for their first win.
Click here for video coverage of Fylde’s five tries: https://bit.ly/3Y51ITZ
Click here for great action photos by Mike Bayly: https://bit.ly/487vcoT
Click here for some warm up photos: https://bit.ly/3U4jPYQ
Fylde: Dorrington J., Turner, Stott, Clayton, Smith (Atherton 71), Bishop, Gaughan, Fairbrother, Harrison (Captain), Quinn (Dorrington B. 61), Garrod (Morgan 61), Walton, Altham (Trippier 31), Davis, Bowker
Unused Sub; Williamson
Tigers: Wager, Goatley, Broadley, Manderfield (Long 69), Norman, Baker, Holmes, Calladine (Monks 40), Redfern, Wallace, Hawksworth, Fitzsimons, Bingham, Archer (Townsend 40), Bennett (Smith 64)