Rotherham progressed to the quarter-finals of the Powergen Cup for the first
time in their history as they cause an upset by beating Premiership outfit
Bristol Shoguns in front of the west country side's lowest crowd of the season.
Bristol went into the match having made nine changes from the side that beat
Swansea 41-23 the previous week in their Heineken Cup pool four game. Those
missing included their Argentine half-back pair of Agustin Pichot and Felipe
Contepomi.
The visitors, whose last defeat was at this same stage of the cup at Saracens
last season, were without flanker Russell Earnshaw, who damaged his shoulder
ligaments in the game at home to Orrell last weekend.
Bristol took an early lead through a penalty from their Kiwi fly-half Shane
Drahm and his opposite number Ramiro Pez failed with his attempt from 35 metres.
Rotherham were then reduced to 14 men when centre Mike Umaga was yellow-carded.
Referee Tony Spreadbury judged that the tackle on lock Ben Sturnham, bursting
through, was dangerous.
The former England number eight had to be stretchered off with a leg injury
before Drahm landed his second penalty.
Back to full strength and the Division One league leaders began to look
threatening and were rewarded with the first try of the game.
From a scrum 20 metres out, scrum-half Jacob Rauluni went on a dummy run with
the Bristol defence spreading wide.
But player-coach Mike Schmid picked up from the base, spotted a gap emerging
in front of him and raced to the posts, making the conversion easier for Pez.
Just after the half-hour another dummy led to a second Rotherham try.
Rauluni chipped towards the Bristol line where Drahm collected cleanly only to
be forced back over his own line for a five-metre scrum.
From here Rauluni found Umaga and then fellow centre Matthew Oliver who
strolled through to the line.
Pez added the conversion, Drahm was wide with a drop goal attempt, and
Rotherham went into the break 14-6 in front.
Drahm reduced the arrears eight minutes into the second half with his third
penalty only for Rotherham to hit back straight away.
From a ruck on the 22, while Bristol waited for referee Spreadbury to blow for
offside, Drahm attempted a clearance kick.
But it was charged down by wing Michael Wood who then raced forward and waited
for the ball to go over the line before touching down.
Pez added the conversion from out wide before Drahm landed a 45-metre penalty
to try to keep the home side in the game only for Pez to land his first.
Rotherham looked to be keeping their line intact only for replacement centre
Andrew Higgins to squeeze in at the corner.
Drahm converted from out wide to take Bristol within striking distance of
victory with less than 10 minutes remaining.
The Shoguns were awarded a penalty on the half-way line but that was then
reversed and Pez was just short with his attempt.
Brendon Daniel and Bristol full-back Lee Best both came close to scoring but a
solid Rotherham defence held out, even when Higgins was yellow-carded deep in
added time at the end of the game for excessive use of the boot at a ruck.
Teams:
Bristol: Best, Rees, Shaw, Carrington,
Daniel, Drahm, Richards,
Sheridan, Nelson, White, S. Morgan, Sturnham, C. Morgan,
Oakley, Beattie.
Replacements: E. Bergamaschi, Rowland, Styles, Hayward, Williams,
Higgins, Hodgson.
Tries: Higgins.
Cons: Drahm.
Pens: Drahm 4.
Rotherham: Benson, Dixon,
Oliver, Umaga, Wood, Pez, Raulini,
Lloyd, Johnson, Noon, Cook, Kenworthy, Greeff, Spence, Schmid.
Replacements: Towes, Bunting, Tooala, Giacheri, Remnant, Harrison,
Craig.
Tries: Schmid, Oliver, Wood.
Cons: Pez 3.
Pens: Pez.
Att: 2,782
Ref: Tony Spreadbury (England).
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