RFU Championship: Birmingham & Solihull 25 Rotherham 24
Just four days after being left for dead at the foot of the Championship table Bees came bursting back to life with a much-improved performance and their fourth victory of the season.
With images of Saturday’s 42-16 beating at Moseley still fresh in many minds, Eugene Martin’s side restored some much-needed pride and while they had to sweat a bit at the end, they were worthy of their win.
They needed every one of the 22 unanswered points they strung together in a superb third quarter, though, as two Rotherham tries in the last five minutes whittled the hosts’ 15-point lead down to just one.
However, any other result would have been cruel on a side inspired by a man-of-the-match display and two tries from Tongan lock Semisi Taulava, as well as a smart finish from rookie wing Ollie Grove.
Four out of five goals from Mark Woodrow capped what was a miraculous turnaround from the calamity at Billesley Common. Their challenge now is to produce a second decent effort against Bristol on Sunday.
The first period was a half of two halves. Bees dominated the opening quarter but their faulty lineout meant they could not score the points their dominance merited.
On two occasions in the first nine minutes the hosts were awarded penalties in Rotherham territory but instead of going for goal they opted for a kick to touch and a wasted lineout.
Roth, by contrast, scored on one of their first attacks. Camped on the home line with a series of pick and drives Alex Loney spun out of Taulava’s tackle and flopped over. Juan Pablo Socino converted.
The Argentine then swapped penalties with Woodrow as the period ended with the Titans leading 10-3.
It was Bees who came out firing after the restart, though, as Taulava finished off Mark Hopley’s surge to the line.
Woodrow converted and added a 51st-minute penalty to make it 13-10 before Taulava sped on the fly-half’s inviting pass and scorched past full-back Richard Welding for his seventh of the season.
Then just after the hour Grove accepted a kind bounce from a chip ahead and blew past Peter Swatkins.
At 25-10 the home team looked home and dry only for Socino and Dan Baines to set up a dramatic finale, which thankfully Bees survived.
BEES: Cox, Culpin; Woodrow, Petty; Dugard (Tau, 77), McMillan, Halavatau (Reid, 77), Taulava, Griffiths, Connolly (Noonan, 78), Preece (Tau 37-47, Bentall 55), Hopley. Replacements: Gerry, Clayton, Williams.
ROTHERHAM: Welding (Godfrey, 67); Hampsey (Swatkins, 14), Hepworth, Socino, James S; James M, Bedford; Harris, Loney, Quigley, Sandford (Dickinson, 50), Smidt (Kilbane, 37-47), Baines, Dougall, Burrows. Replacements: George, Aikman, Rhodes
