MATCH THREAD: Featherstone Rovers Reserves v Halifax Reserves (Wed 6th March 2019)

[hrtbps]

 

[Private Baldrick]

Can we bring a flask/own food/drinks to this game?

[The Phantom Horseman]

A match thread for the reserves - I like it.
Am presuming this won't be on RoversTV (unless anyone knows differently?) so any reports appreciated.

[hrtbps]

I'll be heading down for the second half. Looking forward to it. 

[Rarefrith]

Fev 8-22 Fax atm

[Rarefrith]

6 minutes ago, Rarefrith said:

Fev 8-22 Fax atm

14-22 now

[Rarefrith]

18-22 FT. Great effort from the reserve lads against an established team. 

[gazza77]

Thanks for the score updates. Interesting to see Maskill turn out, I wonder if that means that one of the Boas brothers is likely to be bench hooker now Reynolds has joined us. 

[The Phantom Horseman]

Haven't seen the game but that seems a really good effort. Think we only had Maskill who has played first grade whereas all six members of the Fax pack have played 1st grade at Championship level as have a couple of their backs. Fax reserves scored 70 against Keighley reserves in their first game and have been going for a few years so this seems a really good effort especially as we didn't have the two lads who are on loan at Keighley.

[hrtbps]

I got there midway through the first half when we were 0-18 down. A spirited display in the second half saw us come back to finish 18-22. We showed some good defending on our own line in the second half to deny them a couple of tries. Our own tries were really well worked and came from passing the ball out to the wings.

We were rusty in patches and you could see how Halifax benefited from being the more established (and bigger) side, but it was a positive evening on the whole. Other than Kiedan Hartley, who put in another fine display, I don't think there is anyone who currently stands out as being able to break into the first team yet.

Nevertheless, it was a good display from March's side, and the attendance was decent too - the main stand was around three quarters full. 

[The Phantom Horseman]

Have watched the game on RoversTV now. Fax dominated early on and went 18-0 up in the first 20 minutes. Shortly afterwards they took off most of their starting pack (all of whom have 1st grade experience in the Championship as mentioned above) and the game changed, with Fev coming much more into it.

However Fax brought most of the starting pack back on at the start of the 2nd half and although they dominated again in terms of territory, Fev's goal-line defence was very good and held them out apart from one barge-over try from dummy half. In the meantime, Fev went downfield and scored through an excellent passing movement.

Fax then took off most of their starting forwards again for the last 15-20 minutes and Fev finished on the front foot, scoring two more well-worked tries.

As hrtbps says, it's hard to see many players who look close to being 1st grade yet (though I'm not sure Jimmy McDaniel should be far behind Jack Render when there's a wing spot available); I think anyone who is hoping that reserve team players are going to feature in the 1st team this season barring a rash of injuries is going to be disappointed,  but there are a few players who might develop over the next year or so and it's encouraging that the team can hold their own against a much more experienced outfit so soon.

Interesting to see Jimmy Beckett has extended his loan spell with Keighley for the rest of the season. Presumably has a recall clause similar to the loan players we have taken as he'd probably be one of the reserves closest to a 1st team call up if we had a string of injuries.