Report: North Wales Crusaders 32-12 Rochdale Hornets

Rochdale Hornets fell to a 32-12 defeat at the hands of Betfred League 1 leaders North Wales Crusaders, in what proved to be a tough afternoon for Gary Thornton’s side.

With the visitors lying in fourth place before the match and coming off the back of a comprehensive victory over Newcastle Thunder seven days earlier, confidence was high.

Sunday’s trip to North Wales was a chance to make a statement of intent against one of the best teams in the competition, but it proved to be a difficult afternoon. 

The first controversial moment came in the opening stages, as Gregg McNally was wiped out by a trailing arm and the Hornets were awarded an early penalty. After finding touch to start the set inside the North Wales 20m area, they couldn’t turn field position into points. 

It was the home side who got on the scoreboard first after just seven minutes. Sam Wilde latched onto the end of a Jordy Gibson grubber kick to open the scoring, with Jamie Dallimore adding the extras.

Four minutes later and they were in again. Gibson once again planted a grubber which caught the Hornets defence cold, before he managed to re-gather his own kick to score.

The home side started to pile the pressure on the Hornets line and they were in again on the 15-minute mark. A knock-on from the visitors allowed Ollie Brookes to finish off a quick move to extend the lead to 18-0, thanks to another Dallimore conversion.

Midway through the first half, it looked like Rochdale had got themselves on the score sheet as Lewis Else broke through to touch down, but Myles Harrop’s pass in the build-up was deemed to have been forward and the try was ruled out. 

Crusaders quickly turned defence into attack as Patrick Ah Van found some space down the short side before handing the ball onto Wilde. He, in turn, set Brookes free for his second of the afternoon.

A Rochdale knock-on deep inside their own half allowed Crusaders to gain two repeat sets, and it was on the second of which they made them pay, Wilde stepping through the defence to grab his second.

At 26-0 down at the break, it looked like a highly improbable job for Rochdale to get themselves back into the contest, and if there were still any lingering hopes of a comeback, they were quickly extinguished as the home side hit the 30 point mark 10 minutes into the second half. 

A looping pass over the top of the Rochdale line - who protested for a forward pass - found Brookes, who completed his hat-trick.

Five minutes later, Rochdale ensured they wouldn’t be leaving Colwyn Bay without scoring as Jordan Andrade crashed over the line from close range to finally give the travelling supporters something to cheer. 

Compared to the first half, the second was relatively quiet as the Hornets managed to keep the home side out for the vast majority of the half, and it was the visitors who had the final say, albeit a consolation, as Pat Moran stretched out over the line to take his side into double figures.

Max Flanagan converted again, and that proved to be the last action of the match as the final hooter sounded on a disappointing afternoon.

North Wales Crusaders: Roby, Holmes, Taylor, Ah Van, Brookes, Dallimore, Gibson, Houghton, Eaves, Barratt, Cooper, Wilde, Davies. Subs: Baldwin, Unsworth, Walker, Jones.

Tries: Brookes (3), Wilde (2), Gibson

Goals: Dallimore (4)

Rochdale Hornets: McNally, Nixon, Will, Harrop, Forber, Else, Flanagan, Moran, Whitmore, Nelmes, Straughier, D. Simpson, Whittel. Subs: Farnworth, Dayes, Andrade, Killan.

Tries: Andrade, Moran

Goals: Flanagan