IT was never going to be a day for defending.

When the days get hotter and the elements more still, life becomes easier for attacks and harder for defences. And so it proved at Rochdale yesterday, when the outcome – which was always likely to be high-scoring – depended on not only whose defence fared better in the tiring heat but also whose attacks missed the fewer opportunities to keep the heat on.

Unfortunately, York City Knights, again, were second best on both counts, and lost 44-34.

Again they played in patches and when they put it together, they were the better side, as shown by a three-try purple patch in 11 first-half minutes. Or, rather, they were the more effective side, as the new, ultra-basic game-plan was not necessarily the best to watch.

However, as has been the case so often this year, they got a roll-off just as quickly as they got a roll-on. Moreover, amid wasted opportunities to get a roll back on, the defence again failed to make amends for the mistakes and breaks in fluency when in possession.

The Knights were not helped by losing Steve Lewis to injury midway through the first half. Lewis was the one surprise in the line-up, starting at loose-forward for the first time to cover for crocked captain Richard Blakeway.

He had begun superbly, too, but neither his departure nor any changes to rotation plans can be blamed for the missed tackles and mis-placed passes that ruined whatever good work was done.

Fit-again Jordan Ross was back blasting around the second row, Nathan Freer was in at prop for the injured Mark Applegarth, and Chris Williams had a rare chance as substitute hooker in place of Casey Bromilow.

Williams’ inclusion was partly for his ability to cover at loose-forward – as was needed, but he looked rusty. Freer was prominent early and late on but not so hot in between.

York opened the scoring early on, on the back of a half-break and clever pass from Lewis, which saw Ross draw a foul. Lewis was again involved after the penalty, before Danny Ratcliffe gave Lee Waterman a chance he wasn’t going to miss.

However, in a sign of the heavy scoring to come, York were caught offside on the sixth tackle of Rochdale’s next attack and winger Bolu Fagborun reaped dividends.

Fit-again Fagborun was back on the wing having missed Rochdale’s win over Swinton, with dangerous veteran Wayne English moving to full-back as Craig Johnson was suspended.

Hornets made further pressure tell with tries by Danny Smith and big loose-forward John Cookson, who had too much power for Matty Duckworth and Ratcliffe.

In between times they forced two dropouts – and on a day when the heat was going to tire defences, York needed to get the ball, get a try and build pressure themselves.

This they did in that purple patch, despite Lewis’ exit.

Ratcliffe won possession back from a smart restart, and the set ended with Jack Lee fighting off two tackles to reach the line. York really could do with extending the hooker’s loan period beyond this month.

Then, after two penalties, Jack Stearman drove close and fellow substitute prop Brett Waller crashed in from Lee’s quick play-the-ball.

Then, after York seemed to have wasted continued pressure, a superb miss-pass by Ratcliffe saw Tuffour sprint in.

The touchline effort was the best of Waterman’s three first-half conversions.

However, the Knights then got the roll-off.

Hornets stand-off Paul Crook crossed, converted – he goaled all seven Rochdale tries – and added a penalty for a 26-22 half-time lead and, soon after the restart, a wild pass from Williams was knocked on by Duckworth to give away a scrum 25 yards from York’s own line, from which hooker Phil Wood all too easily scored.

Then, after English had bounced off both John Fallon and Freer, and a couple more tackles, amid a long run from his own half, Smith extended the lead.

The Knights’ big forwards won possession with a turnover at a scrum, and from their own scrum, Waterman finished with his trademark right-hand fend, goaling superbly from wide left.

But York wasted other good field position, while the midfield breaks of note all came from the Hornets, who also got the try of the match, a fine move finished by winger Dale Bloomfield.

Waller crashed over again, from a smart pass by Clough, who did his utmost to inject urgency, Joe McLocklan goaling but, while it brought a bonus point, any hopes of a late fightback were far-fetched.

• A young Knights reserves side lost 58-10 at Widnes in the Reserve Championship on Saturday.

York tries in a decent display came from Jordan Rice and, with a trademark interception effort, scrum-half Jonathan Schofield, who also added a conversion, but a strong Vikings side, featuring a few players with Super League experience, were too good.


Match facts

Hornets: English, Fagborun, Bowman, Reid, Bloomfield, Crook, Roper, Raftery, Powell, Cocker, Gorton, Smith, Cookson.

Subs (all used): Hayes, Samuel, Wood, Ashall.

Tries: Fagborun 9; Smith 15, 49; Cookson 18; Crook 37; Wood 45; Bloomfield 67.

Conversions: Crook 9, 15, 18, 37, 45, 49, 67.

Penalties: Crook 40.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent-off: None.


Knights: Ratcliffe 6, Tuffour 6, Wilson 5, Waterman 7, Lineham 7, McLocklan 5, Stamp 5, Fallon 6, Lee 7, Freer 6, Ross 7, Duckworth 5, Lewis 6.

Subs (all used): Williams 5, Stearman 6, Clough 7, Waller 7.

Tries: Waterman 4, 56; Lee 20; Waller 26, 74; Tuffour 31.

Conversions: Waterman 20, 26, 31, 56; McLocklan 74.

Penalties: None.

Drop goals: None.

Sin-binned: None.

Sent-off: None.


Man of the match: Brett Waller – two tries were reward for the big man’s hard work in the heat.

Referee: Chris Leatherbarrow (St Helens) – not slow on the whistle, but neither side had too much to complain about.

Penalty count: 9-11.

Weather watch: very hot.

Half-time: 26-22.

Attendance: 472.

Moment of the match: Dennis Tuffour’s try, darting in down the left touchline from Danny Ratcliffe’s cut-out pass.

Gaffe of the match: Lee Waterman’s decision to get involved in “handbags” after dropping the ball, rather than chasing back as Rochdale countered. It blotted the centre’s decent copybook and he was substituted soon after.

Game-breaker: Dale Bloomfield’s try, the best of Rochdale’s seven, put the hosts three scores ahead with 13 minutes left and stifled hopes of a comeback.

Match rating: a try-fest in the sun, but not a fun-fest for York fans.