Hooker Buckle's hat-trick ties Titans in knots

Joe Buckle was the latest yesterday as he claimed three tries to see Yorkshire Carnegie become the latest side to vanquish hapless Rotherham Titans.

The 24-year-old, who arrived from Jersey in the summer, now has six tries in 12 games and is the second hooker at his club to claim a treble this term after Mike Mayhew did so against Bedford Blues in October.

It was all too simple at times for Carnegie, who ensured their Yorkshire rivals slumped to an 11th straight league defeat, Titans remaining rooted to the foot of the Championship table still without a win.

Indeed, Jimmy Lowes’s side –with scrum-half Will Homer and blindside Richard Beck in sterling form – had picked up their try bonus point within just 31 minutes after utterly destroying Rotherham up front.

Four of their five first-half tries came from driving mauls with the visitors’ pack simply unable to contain their rivals whenever they got anywhere near the line.

Buckle initially profited with two tries, his second – the one that secured that bonus point –coming after line-out drive that trundled infield from fully 25m out.

Frustratingly for Rotherham, it came straight after they had scored a try of their own, offering a smidgen of hope that was soon wiped out. It was well-created effort, too, winger Ben Foley getting over after a lovely swift pass from his openside Charlie Maddison tight to the right touchline.

Foley will have been grateful; earlier in the passage of play, he had been unleashed from further out but was tackled by full-back Chris Elder after ignoring inside support.

Lee Millar, a late switch from full-back to fly-half after Caolan Ryan pulled out with a groin strain, missed the conversion attempt but later – quite bizarrely given his side were already 26-8 down – added his second penalty of the afternoon.

Why Rotherham did not want to kick to the corner themselves is anyone’s guess.

Regardless, after one of their kicks was charged down by Carnegie, they conceded another penalty and this time the hosts’ stormed over at pace with a drive that saw Richard Mayhew come up with the ball.