Rosslyn Park 49 Wharfedale 26

WHARFEDALE coach Jon Feeley had only one realistic expectation from the trip to London, that his side would put behind them last week’s poor performance against Blackheath with anything else being a bonus.

In the event he was happy to come away from this difficult location with a point, but he knows that despite the encouragement of a second-half performance of character and resolve, there is still much work to do.

The set-piece and ball retention needs attention, as does their flimsy tackling.

Feeley was particularly pleased with the improvement in the play of the back row, in which Josh Burridge, celebrating his 20th birthday with a try, played himself into the ground.

That try was one of three coming from driven line-outs – Richard Rhodes claiming the other two – which says much about the shape of a match in which six of the home side’s seven tries came from fast open play and often from turnovers.

With three-quarters of the match over and the deficit 42-7, Wharfedale had been staring down the barrel of another crushing defeat, so it required a performance of great character to get back into the match, particularly after the first-half frustration of first Luke Stevenson then Chris Howick each coming within a whisker of scoring.

The elation in the visiting ranks at the final whistle was palpable.

In the closing stages of the match they exerted maximum pressure on the home line which resulted in a telling yellow card.

Wharfedale elected to scrummage from repeated infringements, until the referee was finally forced to go between the posts for the penalty try for which Wharfedale had toiled so hard.

Rarely can a City bonus have been harder earned.