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FT. 

I have to declare a sort-of interest in a way, as have enjoyed visits to both clubs - Dale just once almost a decade ago & Roth regularly during their time in Ch'ship. Both great clubs.

To start, you'd need a heart of stone not to find the whole return of league rugby to be joyous - people were in some cases seeing friends for the first time and relishing the chance to get back in the routine after so long, on a perfect day for rugby too.

Both sides were a bit rusty (shock horror) and Dale really took it to the hosts early on. The Roth pack may have had the likes of Quigley and Challinor on parade, but they weren't getting much change out of the opposing eight. Both sides were trying to attack and Dale took a deserved lead about 20 mins in with forwards & backs linking well, it was arguably the best try of the day. They obviously weren't expecting to score as it took more than a minute for the kicking tee to arrive, necessitating a drop-kicked conversion attempt.

This sparked the hosts into action and they managed 2 tries before the break to lead 15-5.

Roth got more powerful as the second half progressed and inevitably as the lead stretched beyond 20 points it became less of a spectacle. Not that it was one-sided: Dale kept going and were unlucky not to score again.

The home side had some artillery on the bench too - Matti Williams was at Worcester last season & looked good in the Championship during a loan spell with Jersey, but has now dropped down two levels.

Great afternoon & superb to catch up with old friends from Roth, with the pie + Iron & Steel being superb too...  

Sorry Sid, I understood the history of the Hull clubs once - it is wonderfully convoluted.

Apparently there is a demand for three National leagues- Premiership, championship and National 1 with 42 or 44 teams involved. I was surprised. But that could be driven by clubs like Cambridge, the London clubs and possibly as far as Chinnor, where the travel in National 1 is less than in Nat 2 South - though that may not be the case with three leagues at level 4.

As you know, I do not believe the reorganization will actually solve the problems, and I would have done something much more radical. But that is a different thread.