Despite a shaky start, Rossendale found their rhythm in the second half, running in six tries to secure a bonus-point victory and maintain their spot at the top of the league.

First Half: Manchester Start Strong

Manchester came out firing and capitalised on some lacklustre Rossendale defence to score the first two tries of the game. Both were a result of missed tackles in the midfield, with Manchester cutting through to score out wide. Luckily for Rossendale, neither conversion was successful, leaving the score at 10-0.

Rossendale hit back when Ben Stephens finished off a brilliant team move. After sustained pressure, Ropeti sold his opposite number a dummy, broke the line, and offloaded to Stephens, who went over just right of the posts. Lewis Allen’s conversion brought the score to 10-7.

Rossendale then took the lead with a classic rolling maul. Isra Asif powered through under the posts, and Allen added the extras to make it 10-14. However, Manchester struck back just before half-time with a converted try from a five-metre scrum, regaining the lead at 17-14.

Half-time: Manchester 17, Rossendale 14

Second Half: Rossendale Turn It Around

Manchester extended their lead early in the second half with two quick converted tries. Another missed midfield tackle allowed a Manchester player to break from halfway and roll over the line, and they followed it up with a sharp finish out wide, making it 31-14.

Rossendale refused to lie down and began their fightback. Terence Babarinsa made a brilliant break, and after a few quick phases, Babarinsa scrambled over for a try, which Allen converted to bring the score to 31-21.

Momentum shifted as Rossendale’s forwards earned a scrum penalty, which Allen slotted to close the gap to 31-24. Rossendale then tied things up with a fantastic try. Ben Stephens broke through and offloaded to Callum Whelan, who dived under the posts. Allen converted to level the score at 31-31.

Rossendale Seal the Win

Rossendale weren’t done yet. The ball was shipped wide through the backs, and Ben Stephens finished off a slick move by diving in at the corner. Allen nailed a stunning touchline conversion to give Rossendale the lead for the first time, 31-38.
The final nail in Manchester’s coffin came from Zane Ainsley, who drew in two defenders and slipped an outrageous dummy to Zac Stephens, who ran in under the posts. Allen’s conversion made it 31-45.

In the dying moments, Manchester piled on the pressure, and Rossendale’s scrum-half, Whelan was yellow-carded. Down to 14 men, Rossendale held their line with some heroic defence, keeping Manchester from scoring again.

Full-time: Manchester 31, Rossendale 45

Verdict
It was a rollercoaster of a match, but Rossendale’s resilience and attacking flair ultimately proved too much for Manchester. While there’s work to do in tightening up the midfield defence, this was a well-earned bonus-point win that keeps Rossendale top of the league.

Report by Sophie Macintosh