OTLEY scored their first try bonus win of the season in a match they gradually took hold of.

Tigers got the first penalty of the game after a scrum in their half, which also saw an early replacement in Otley’s front row. The kick went some 30 metres into Otley’s half, but they lost the line-out and Otley were able to clear their lines. The relief was short lived, and the visitors were soon up to Otley’s five metre but another mistake at the line-out let them down.

Otley got out of their half, only to be held up in the tackle. Still under pressure, Eddie Crossland’s clearance kick from his ten metre line just bounced over full back Harry Chapman. Crossland was soon on his tail and charged down Chapman’s kick, diving on the ball as it rolled away in the dead ball area. Gavin Stead added the conversion from the right hand side.

Sheffield responded two minutes later with a penalty, Chapman kicking from 35 metres out. From a line-out on the visitor’s 22, Otley moved the ball to the left hand side, losing the ball before Sheffield knocked on.

From the scrum the ball went right, Clark Wells breaking through the Tigers’ defence to within touching distance of the line. Otley quickly recycled the ball sending it further right, Charlie Morgan diving over for an unconverted try.

Sheffield gathered the restart just over the 10 metre line, and advanced forward securing two penalties. Unable to break Otley’s line, they kicked deep into Otley’s red zone and got another penalty. Going for another line-out and two pick and goes, Lee Monks lifted the ball over the Otley players to score on 25 minutes.

Ben Waddington broke through after sustained Otley pressure in the visitor’s half, but lost the ball in the tackle. After an exchange of kicks ended in Sheffield miscuing one giving Otley a line-out on the left hand side. From there, Otley moved the ball to the right side and back again, Brandon Staples scoring in the now vacant corner.

The half ended with Tigers pressuring Otley’s line from which they gained a penalty, which went into the right hand corner. After an initial surge, Otley pushed the Tigers’ maul back forcing them to drop the ball and gain possession to put the ball into touch.

Having collected the restart, and down to 14 after a deliberate knock on, Otley were able to withstand the Tigers’ paws before going forward – aided by Sheffield kicking out on the full (a feature of their game). After a good rolling maul by Otley which took them into the opposition 22 and gained them a penalty, a twenty phase move ended with the ball being lost in the tackle in front of the posts.

Strengthened by their resolve, Sheffield were able to resist Otley’s next attack and launched their own attack after Otley conceded two penalties and the Tigers got within 5 metres. Brett Mitchell stole their line-out, Crossland kicking upfield. Sam Taylor’s kick down the right hand side touched a Sheffield player giving Otley the line out in the opposition 22. Tigers conceded two penalties defending their line, and on the third attack Luke Cole scored from the back of a rolling maul from 5 metres out. Joe Rowntree added the conversion on 63 minutes.

Otley came close to scoring but the ball was ripped in the tackle a few metres from the line and Sheffield cleared their lines. A further two penalties by Otley put the ball five metres from their line. With time fast running out, Sheffield moved the ball from right to left looking for a gap, but the game ended when Chapman was bundled into touch by three Otley players, 24-8 FT.

BY: NICK DOYLE