Baildon RUFC

Shorn of five players who would have been in their match-day 18, the hosts had a horrible first half playing up the slope with a strong wind against, going into the interval 35-5 behind.

They recovered to 40-19 with 16 minutes left, but a combination of ill discipline, injuries and shoddy tackling - the latter being more apparent in the first half - combined to seal their fate against a promoted team who have now won three out of three.

Baildon skipper Ollie Murphy said, after two wins in the league: “We came into the game on the back of two cup defeats - to well-drilled sides in Roundhegians (22-14 in the Counties Two North Plate) and our old friends Harrogate Pythons (48-30 in the YorkshireShield) - which was maybe a blessing in disguise.

“We trained well in midweek and we were up for it, but the Jenny Lane hill and a 50mph wind is never anyone’s friend - we always like to give ourselves that challenge in the first half if we win the toss - but it was too much of a curve here with our discipline issues as well.

“There were areas of positivity in the first half but being 30 points behind at half-time the second half is definitely a battle and we were very disappointed with our tackling in the first half.

“We aren’t the biggest team in the world but we let the wind and the hill take our focus away from the key principles of rugby - you can’t run without your legs - but they carried well and we didn’t tackle.”

Murphy added: “The coaches asked us to switch on at half-time and we were happy an hour in, but again we slipped off tackles and let them get back up the pitch, and we know that we can do better.

“We lost James Morton (torn bicep) early in the second half, and we were already without Jonty Glendinning, which were our two battering rams, but Ben Shaw and Luke Strauss did very well and Jamie Sykes did well in that 13 shirt on his return from travelling in South America, but against a big Otley side you need those battering rams.

“In the last 20 minutes, we let our discipline override us and we had some loose passes. We would have liked to get the (four-try) bonus point but we fell short against a side who are well drilled, won at Twickenham last season and got promoted in the league.

“The referee set out his marker and we didn’t manage him well enough, but there were some indiscrepancies from him.

“We already had five lads out who would slot into our 18, such as Jake Duxbury, Matty Dixon and Harrison Strauss, but hopefully everyone has got their holidays out of the way now and we should have Matty, Harrison and Jonty back next week at home to Huddersfield Laund Hill.”

There was plenty of rain before kick-off and plenty of standing water on the roads leading up to Jenny Lane, but although the wind remained throughout the match, there was watery sunshine, no rain and even a rainbow.

It took Otliensians just six minutes to take the lead down the slope, a right to left move involving lock Jay Walsh and prop Luke Exley ending with centre Jake Bentley’s long pass giving winger Will Howarth the chance to score in the corner, Jake Bentley adding the conversion.

Ten minutes later, full back Luke Cowdell bagged the visitors’ second try, Jake Bentley again adding the extras as he did two minutes later when Howarth ran 60 metres past five would-be tacklers, giving Otliensians a 21-0 lead.

Skipper Exley - an old-fashioned prop in appearance - then gave the promoted side further heart with a barnstorming run into Baildon’s 22, and the hosts soon conceded two penalties in their red zone before Walsh scored in the 26th minute, Jake Bentley making it 28-0 with the conversion.

Baildon could string nothing together, had no momentum and had winger Fola Dairo sin-binned for a high tackle just before Cowdell scored again, Jake Bentley again proving his skill off the tee with a superb conversion from near the right touchline, the wind blowing the ball left to right across the face of goal.

However, Baildon scored with their first meaningful attack on 40 minutes, Ollie Murphy getting the ball down, but the strength of the wind meant that Ben Shaw’s conversion blew back towards the halfway line without ever reaching the posts.

Nevertheless that try gave Baildon a glimmer of hope for the second half, the interval being noticeable for Ollie Murphy being in earnest conversation with referee Pablo Costa - a dialogue which went on for much of the match.

Morton, who thinks he may have also torn a pectoral muscle as well, went off two minutes into the second half, which was the last thing that Baildon needed as he was one of the few who looked like breaking tackles.

Replacement prop Mo Gaibee did his best to emulate the big centre, but replacement Josh Strauss became the second home player to receive a yellow card seven minutes later for a no-arms tackle.

Otliensians took advantage of Baildon being short-handed to score their sixth try in the 51st minute, winger Isaac Gillson going over, but the wind gave Jake Bentley no chance of keeping his 100 per cent kicking record.

At last Baildon awoke from their slumbers as flanker Joe Murphy took advantage of slipshod Otliensians tackling to stride over in the 55th  minute, scrum half Gary Cox converting.

The visitors lost replacement Sydney Dojan-Wood to a split chin two minutes later and lock Ali Campbell was sin-binned in the 63rd minute in what seemed a case of mistaken identity as replacement George Martin was the real culprit.

Baildon cashed in with a penalty try a minute later, the visitors being reduced to 13 men as fly half Ollie Eaves was yellow carded for the infringement.

However, Baildon failed to cash in on their two-man advantage, with injuries occurring to home lock Dan Wilson and visitor Bentley as the match went into a lengthy stoppage time.

Referee Costa finally lost patience with Ollie Murphy and sin-binned him in the 94th minute, a long second half ending a minute later with Otliensians worthy winners.  

Baildon have slipped  a place to sixth on the back of this defeat, while Otliensians have climbed one slot to third as one of three unbeaten teams behind leaders Bradford & Bingley and Bridlington.

Report by: Bill Marshall