HAVING done so many good things at Sheffield Tigers the previous weekend, Wharfedale were a big disappointment in going down 33-14 at home to Tynedale on Saturday.

The Greens were 14-0 ahead playing up the hill with the wind behind them in the first half but then never applied consistent enough pressure to trouble the fourth-placed visitors.

"Conditions were horrendous – as testing as I have ever seen them at The Avenue," admitted Wharfedale's future director of rugby Rob Baldwin.

"The wind was as strong up the hill as I have known it and visibility was virtually down to zero at times, but then the sun would come out and you would think 'Right, let's get playing'.

"But from leading 14-0 after 25 minutes we never applied consistent pressure, unlike against Sheffield the week before.

"We did with the penalty try, but even our other try came from a speculative kick downfield that turned them around and we had two players chasing it and they couldn't turn.

"We really needed another try and to be 20-0 up at half-time and then we could have battened down the hatches, rather than worrying that we hadn't got enough points."

Baldwin added: "Our scrum was dominant throughout but in the second half the tries that we conceded were soft from a defensive point of view, and they are a very good team.

"However, it didn't help when we lost Matty Houghton, whose shoulder popped out and was popped back in again."

He was replaced by Adam Howard after 30 minutes, and Baldwin said of Houghton: "He was the only player to compete for us at the breakdown and is a doubt to face Sale this weekend."

Howard received a yellow card for a high tackle – a contentious area these days – in the 68th minute, and Baldwin revealed: "We think that it was harsh and are looking at appealing against it."

Sale have lost only two of their 23 matches and lead the table by three points from Sedgley Park with a game in hand.

However, Baldwin added: "Sale will present no bigger test than that of Tynedale.

"They are well drilled, will punish our mistakes and have a No 10 with a big boot in Chris Johnson, but, as I have said before, it is about us and how we play."