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Search forLong journey worth it as Albion win in style
Monday, October 06, 2008, 07:00
Their longest trip of the season probably seemed far quicker than many of the shorter ones they have made in the last 11 months with a win and a bonus point under their belts.
Albion had not returned to Brickfields with an away league victory to their name since November 17 last year when they beat Moseley at Billesley Common.
But they put that record straight on Saturday at Cross Green by running in four tries to condemn newly-promoted Otley to a sixth consecutive defeat.
However, at half-time it looked like Albion and their loyal supporters would be facing another depressing trip home.
Graham Dawe's side trailed 11-3 at the break and had failed to create any real try-scoring chances of note in difficult conditions at Otley's historic ground.
But, just like the previous week against London Welsh, Albion came out a different team after the interval and dominated proceedings for the final 40 minutes.
Albion had just failed to turn the game around against London Welsh – losing 25-24 after being 19-0 down – but on this occasion they did not run out of time.
The key to their comeback was scoring just four minutes after the break through centre Arran Cruickshanks.
They then went on to add further touchdowns through Keni Fisilau, Justin Mensah-Coker and, with the last move of the game, replacement Gareth Evans.
But chairman of rugby Dawe must be wondering why his new-look side just cannot seem to play for a full 80 minutes.
They have also struggled to put all the aspects of their game together this season.
Every week they seem to correct faults that troubled them the previous outing, only to fall down in different areas.
Albion's line-outs and scrums, which had not be up to their normal standard against London Welsh, were good against Otley, but it was their collecting of re-start balls and high kicks and the number of penalties they gave away that nearly cost them at Cross Green.
The gale-force swirling wind did make it very tough to collect high balls on Saturday, but Albion will probably be working on collecting re-start kicks this week ahead of this weekend's big Devon derby against Exeter Chiefs at Brickfields.
If ever there was a time for Albion's players to prove they can play for a full 80 minutes then it is this weekend against their high-flying bitter rivals. Albion certainly cannot afford to give them a start.
Albion, though, do know what to expect from Exeter, which was not quite the case on Saturday.
Otley had spent last season in Division Two and it had been two years since Albion last made the trip to Cross Green.
Although Otley had lost their first five games, they had only narrowly gone down in their two home fixtures – a 18-12 defeat to Esher and a 31-25 loss to the Cornish Pirates.
And the hosts, with ex-Plymouth schoolboys Steve Trethewey and James Parkes in their front-row, did not look like a team lacking in confidence when they came out.
They started brightly and after just six minutes had taken the lead through a penalty from fly-half Tom Rhodes.
Albion fly-half Kieran Hallett, making only his second start for the club, came close to levelling the game three minutes later with a drop-goal, but the Irishman, who had kicked two on his first full appearance against Nottingham, just missed on this occasion.
Yet Otley gifted Albion the ball back when they kicked straight out at the resultant 22 drop-out and following pressure from the scrum, the visitors were awarded a penalty almost in front of the posts which Hallett happily accepted.
Albion, though, made a mess at the re-start by knocking the ball on, giving Otley a scrum 22 metres out. And, as the home side looked for a breakthrough, Albion were penalised for not rolling away and Rhodes took the three points on offer.
Hallett could have put his team on level terms again almost straight away when Albion were awarded a penalty but his effort just went wide.
The game struggled to come to life first half with mistakes and penalties galore.
Rhodes missed a penalty in the 20th minute before Albion failed to make a 10 metre line-out tell.
The only try of a poor opening period came on 35th minutes when Yorkshire winger Rob Kitching went over on the right after Otley had switched play from a scrum on the left. Rhodes missed the conversion but the home side led 11-3 at the break.
However, after the interval and with rain falling, Albion upped their performance considerably and took the game to Otley. Their kicking was better, their chasing improved, as did their driving game, and scrum-half David Palu, making his first start in English rugby, began finding gaps in Otley's defence.
It took Albion just four minutes to reduce the deficit when Cruickshanks dived onto a good kick through by Hallett, who also added the conversion to make it 11-10.
However, within minutes Otley had responded with a try of their own through Rob Baldwin following a scrum. Rhodes was unable to convert, crucially leaving his side just six points in front as opposed to eight.
And three minutes later Albion took the lead for the first time when Fisilau found a gap after some good pressure, started by a powerful drive by Martin Rice. Hallett added the conversion to make it 17-16.
That lead was extended to 24-16 on 61 minutes when Mensah-Coker scored after Albion had switched play following a good break by Fisilau. Hallett, who had made the final pass, also added the conversion.
The visitors did mess up at the re-start again, giving Otley a five-metre scrum, but this time they defended well and turned the home team over.
Yet Dawe's side looked like they were in for a nervous final few minutes when Fisilau, who had been one of Albion's better players, was sin-binned for a high tackle in the 74th minute.
However, Albion, with Dawe on, dug deep and with the last play of the game they scored the all-important fourth try following a five metre line-out.
Their first drive was held up, but Albion patiently re-set the maul and drove again. This time they did push Otley all they way back and Evans was there to get the ball down for his first league try. Hallett added the conversion with the last kick of the game.
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