Hoppers angered at referee blunder

Hoppers were beaten at the death by local rivals Kendal in a physical error strewn game but mistakes by the referee would have the biggest outcome on the result. On a heavy and soggy Mint Bridge pitch that favoured the home side, neither team was able to produce much running rugby but Kendal used the conditions to ensure the game was a forwards-driven affair.

The opening minutes set the tempo for the match as Hoppers were twice penalised in the opening minutes with the second infringement, which Mark Ireland narrowly missed converting, baffling players and fans alike. After a fourth penalty in the opening five minutes Kendal kicked to the corner and got the scoring underway. They executed a catch and drive, which flirted with legality, and were able to rumble over the Hoppers line, Richard Harryman was on hand to touch down and although Ireland missed adding the extras the hosts did have a 5-0 lead.

Kendal dominated possession for the opening quarter but were unable to make anything of their superiority and Hoppers' defence held strong, limiting them to a couple of half chances and a further Ireland penalty which again narrowly missed in what were difficult kicking conditions.

Hoppers then took the lead from their first real opportunity. A long overdue penalty of their own was kicked to touch and after the line out was secured well, Russell Flynn made good yards through the centre in his usual direct fashion. Alex Zavallis-Roebuck made a good break from the second phase ball before offloading to Tom Hughes who showed his typical pace and finishing ability to cut inside the Kendal defence and score by the posts, Roebuck added the conversion. That ended the scoring for the half but not the referee’s involvement as both Harryman and Hoppers' James Smith were shown yellow cards for stamping to clear out a ruck. Neither seemed to be too serious and there were certainly other incidents that may have lead to a similar outcome.

The second half resulted in no tries and a series of missed opportunities and strange decision making in all areas. Hoppers lost Roebuck to injury and had to play the final 30 minutes without a recognised fly half, this certainly affected the flow of their game although James Smith played well in his absence. Hoppers stretched their lead with a Sean Taylor penalty after Kendal were guilty of going off their feet at a ruck, but lacked the cutting edge or the game management to put the game away.

This allowed Kendal, through a concerted forward effort and help in no small part from the referee, to drag themselves back into the game. They reduced the gap to two points when Ireland landed a penalty after Hoppers were judged to be offside at the breakdown, something that was happening all game and not called until then and with just minutes to go they took the lead and the points in even more bizarre circumstances.

While on the attack Kendal knocked on and lost possession, the referee appeared to give the advantage to Hoppers who gathered the ball but were tackled immediately. As the ruck formed, he blew his whistle and awarded a penalty to Kendal right in front of the posts just outside the 22, The decision wasn’t made clear and certainly no advantage was played, Ireland slotted the kick to steal the game.

Hoppers could have done more to win the game but with the loss of Roebuck, the conditions and the referee, this was one that was stacked against them from the start, taking nothing away from Kendal who stuck to a simple game plan and fought hard from whistle to whistle but this was a game Hoppers should have won.