Rishies salvage two points

However they did register a losing bonus point, and another for scoring four tries.

Once again they were left to rue a poor start, conceding two tries. They also need to work on their discipline and technical issues in the front row of the scrum after too many penalties were given away.

But it was soft tries – one due to a wicked bounce of the ball, another from an interception and a third due to sloppy tackling from a number of players – that proved their undoing.

Too often their play was predictably through the middle and it was only when they got the ball wide that they threatened the visitors’ line.

Things started badly when a speculative kick into the home 22 bounced away from the cover defence and straight into the arms of Barnsley player for a converted try.

The home side fought back with a series of forward drives to win a penalty and Joe Billing clawed back three points.

Leaders Barnsley camped on the home line and got the ball wide for a try in the corner.

Rishworthians hit back strongly and even with lock Jioti Bakoso in the sin bin, they won the ball against the head in a scrum near the Barnsley line and passed it out for left wing Anthony Shoesmith to score in the corner.

Billing added the conversion and then a penalty to give the Copley men the lead, but there was still time for the visitors to score a converted try with the last play of the half to go into the break leading 19-13.

Rishworthians got off to the worst possible start in the second half, sloppy tackling allowing a converted try.

Another followed soon after from an interception, but the home side rallied and prop Ryan Mudd finished off a series of forward drives by diving over.

A Barnsley penalty made it 39-18 with time running out.

Rishworthians finally took charge and drove the tiring visitors back.

Eventually lock Frank Watene took the ball forward with a clever move before slipping it to new prop Bruce Karola, who crashed over.

Billing converted and with 30 seconds to go fullback Taniela Bakoso gathered a high clearance kick and ran the ball back. He linked with centre Matthew Hunt-Brown who put Shoesmith in wide out for a bonus point try.

With the last act of the game Billing kicked a fine conversion to gain a losing bonus point.

Rishworthians’ second team had another fine win by 40-5 at Pontefract. Winger Matt Noble got two tries and others came from Josh Illingworth, Chris Cowie, Danny Hoyle and Tom Higginbottom. Lee Atkinson kicked five conversions.