Rosslyn Park 35-12 Macclesfield
Rosslyn Park head coach Alex Codling admits it was job done, despite a less than convincing victory over bottom-side Macclesfield.
A devastating eight-minute spell in the first half brought three tries, courtesy of a penalty try, Charles Broughton and Sam Shires, to effectively tie up the match.
Codling was satisfied with another win but concedes his team, who remain second four points behind leaders Ealing Trailfinders, were far from their best.
“It was job done in the end and we got the five points,” he said.
“Our intensity and accuracy was not the same as last week against Richmond, but the main thing is we got the result.
“The second half was very poor. When you play teams who are fighting for their lives, they try to make it difficult but we didn’t help ourselves and that’s what we need to work on.”
FT: @rosslynpark 35-12 @MaccRUFC. Park get the job done, but by no means vintage. Penalty, Edwards, Field, Shires & Broughton the scorers.
— Rosslyn Park (@rosslynpark) February 21, 2015
Park took the lead on nine minutes, when a penalty try was awarded against Macclesfield after the scrum collapsed, Scott Sneddon adding the extras.
Straight from the restart, the visitors responded with winger Matt King going over. Tom Eaton failed with the conversion.
Second-placed Park hit back and replied almost immediately when winger Broughton cut a superb diagonal to cross the line wide of the posts on the right, Sneddon converting to make it 14-5.
Matt King was then sent to the sin bin for Macclesfield and Park made the man advantage count, adding another score thanks to a converted try from skipper Shires.
The hosts then secured an all important bonus point try seven minutes before half time, courtesy of Nev Edwards. Sneddon adding the extras.
Adam Field gave Park the perfect start after the break breaking away after a Richard Boyle offload. Replacement fly half Tom Whelan converted to make it 35-5.
However, what promised to be a second-half try-fest proved to be nothing of the sort, and Macclesfield managed a consolation try eight minutes from the end, when King scored. Eaton converted.
Park have now won eight on the bounce and next face Esher in a fortnight and Codling expects another difficult game against their London rivals.
He added: “It’s another London derby, we had two outstanding games last season and earlier this year and it will be a very tough game.”
