Plymouth Albion 68 – Sedgley Park Tigers 24
After a two-week Easter break, the Tigers were back on the road with a long trip to face Plymouth Albion, who came into the game sitting second in the league just behind leaders Rotherham Titans.
With Sedgley Park fighting for survival near the foot of the table and still dealing with a lengthy injury list, this was always going to be a formidable challenge. Plymouth has traditionally been a difficult venue and a strong home crowd of over 2,500 created an excellent atmosphere. Conditions were favourable, with a firm pitch and a swirling breeze around the ground.
The home side started quickly, scoring after just three minutes through winger Robert Wigginton, with Iwan Jenkins adding the conversion. Plymouth extended their lead shortly after with a powerful catch-and-drive from a line-out, finished by hooker Rhys Williams and again converted by Jenkins.
At this stage, the Tigers struggled to gain possession and territory, with errors and penalties preventing any sustained momentum. Plymouth capitalised on this, adding a third try through Wigginton following a counter-attack to take a 19–0 lead.
The pressure continued, and Plymouth secured the bonus point midway through the half when winger Ben Raivaltia intercepted to score. Further tries from scrum-half Jack Oulton and fly-half Iwan Jenkins, who converted his own effort, extended the lead as the home side played with confidence and attacking fluency.
Despite the difficult opening, the Tigers showed resilience late in the first half. A well-constructed passage of play saw young winger Tom Hesketh cross in the corner, with Greg Smith converting. Shortly after, flanker Isaac Deans finished a line-out drive to give the Tigers a lift, but they still trailed 40–12 at the break.
Sedgley Park were forced into a reshuffle just before half-time after losing centre Zane Ainsley to injury, with Jack Ellam moving into the midfield and Alex Benbatouchhe joining the back row.
The Tigers remained positive heading into the second half, but Plymouth continued to apply pressure and forced further errors. Tries from Jack Oulton and Oscar Stewart, both converted by Jenkins, effectively put the game beyond reach early in the second period.
Plymouth went on to add further scores, eventually taking their tally to ten tries in a dominant display.
To their credit, the Tigers continued to battle and were rewarded with two late tries from Jack Ellam and Danny Rylance, which secured a valuable losing bonus point.
The match finished 68–24 to Plymouth Albion, a result the home side fully deserved after an impressive attacking performance. The victory secures their place in the play-off positions, and we wish them well in the remainder of the season.
For the Tigers, while the result was disappointing, the effort and commitment could not be faulted, particularly given the ongoing injury challenges. Captain James Connor led from the front, and the squad continued to fight until the final whistle.
The bonus point could prove significant as the battle for survival continues.
Next up is another huge test as the Tigers welcome league leaders Rotherham Titans to Park Lane this Saturday. Your support will be vital, so please come down and get behind the team.
Cheers,
Steve Hazz