Sedgley Park 31-31 Earth Titans

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By Stefan
April 30 2006

EARTH TITANS, half-hearted and lack-lustre, produced a dismal first-half performance at Park Lane in the season's final outing and recorded their first draw since 1993 finishing a creditable fourth National One's final standings.

It would be foolish to dismiss Titans' chances of progress in next year's league campaign on the evidence of the performance.

The Earth Titans, as they like to be known now, won the second half comfortably 26-0. They did so without playing well and having recovered splendidly from a thrashing before the break.

But having struggled for territory and possession, they let in four tries during a disastrous first half to trail 31-5 at the break and left themselves several mountains to climb if they were to finish the season in style. Turning the ball over on at least ten occasions in the first half they only managed three incursions into Sedgley Park's 22.

Four tries in the second half - three converted by fly-half Mike Whitehead - transformed the contest and meant that the Titans earned a bonus point. They scored five tries in all.

The Titans started their fight back in the closing minute of the first half when Cochrane - having reverted back to openside from hooker - crashed over from a catch-and-drive. They then struck back in grand style in the second half on 42, 48, 58 and 81 minutes and slashed Sedgley Park's lead to achieve parity in the scoreline. Signs of an urgently needed improvement emerged late in the first half.

The first try by Cochrane hinted that the Titans were at last getting their act together. A score that went some way to suggest that coach André Bester's team has something about it.

But Bester will have to work flat-out during summer, as will the players, to put right the disastrous defensive errors - very much their Achilles heel this season - that blew Roth apart in the opening half-hour.

Awful tackling and weak organisation in defence conceded tries on 8, 12, 24 and 32 minutes. So bad were the Titans in every aspect of the game that visions appeared of a defeat by 40 or 50 points to one of National One's basement sides.

Thankfully, the Titans pulled themselves together and produced a fight back.

The forwards were strengthened by the introduction of Irish hooker Nigel Conroy in the 26th minute of the game.

His introduction - replacing winger Gillan Carruthers - necessitated no fewer than four changes in the line-up. Cochrane moved to openside, Gareth McComb to lock, Jan Bornman to eight and Scott Donald to the wing.

The shuffling of positions to a more normal line-up turned the tide for the Titans.

Cochrane's first half try followed by Bedford's interception, when he raced a good 40 metres to score under the posts two minutes after the break, changed the pattern of the game.

A further catch-and-drive try from Cochrane, a drive from a scrum in which blindside Hendré Fourie was driven over followed by Jan Bornman's try at the death - in which he ran 30 metres after a superb pass from Whitehead - completed the scoring.

The turn-around, thanks to the pack who dominated the second half, levelled the score at 31 all.

The pack's second half performance - in which lock Louis McGowan was outstanding - denied Sedgley Park any second half scoring chances and pinned them in their own half for the entire half.

Referee:
Eric Gauzins (France)

Man of the Match:
Louis McGowan

Earth Titans:
15 Dave Strettle; 14 Gillan Carruthers (Scott Donald 26), 13 Tom Allen, 12 W.P Strauss, 11 John Holtby; 10 Mike Whitehead, 9 Joe Bedford; 1 Jamie Kilbane (Jarleth Carey 18, Jon Golding 74), 2 Neil Cochrane (Nigel Conroy 26), 3 Adam Hopcroft, 4 Jannie Bornman (Gareth McComb 26), 5 Louis McGowan, 6 Hendré Fourie, 7 Gareth McComb (Neil Cochrane 26), 8 Scott Donald (Jannie Bornman 26).

Titans Scorers:
N.Cochrane (2T), J.Bedford (1T), H.Fourie (1T), J.Bornman (1T), M.Whitehead (3C).

Sedgley Park:
15 Chris Wilkinson; 14 Jon Feeley, 13 Shaun Woof, 12 Arno De Jager (Tom Albinson 58), 11 Chris Hall; 10 Phil Jones, 9 Jamie Albinson (Dave McCormack 50); 1 Phil Gazzola (Paul Keys 58), 2 Richard Oxley (Gareth Roberts 78), 3 Gerallt Evans (Huw Thomas 50), 4 Jon Skurr (Tim Fourie 39), 5 Eric Lund (Tim Fourie 14-16), 6 Richard Senior (Dave Livesey 77), 7 James Ponton (Jon Skurr 39), 8 Sam Anania.
 
Sedgley Park:
Jon Feeley (2T), Richard Senior (1T), Phil Jones (1T 1P 4C).