Category: Challenge Cup

Posted in Challenge Cup

Bulldogs progress in Challenge Cup with win in Toulouse

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A changed Batley Bulldogs team progressed comfortably to the 5th round of the Challenge Cup after beating against a young Toulouse XIII by 34-16 in France on saturday. Scorers: Toulouse XIII Tries: Bianchini, Puech, Bouscayrol Goals: Maurel 2 Batley Bulldogs Tries: Smeaton 2, Cowling, Scott, Brown, Manning Goals: Walker 5 Toulouse 16 Batley 34

Posted in Challenge Cup

Challenge Cup: Back To Toulouse

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The Batley Bulldogs start their campaign in the challenge Cup this year with a very difficult and dissappointing tie, as they are destined to make the trip again to the Stade Ernest Argeles in the Blagnac quarter of the South French city to take on the Toulouse team. Bulldogs fans will remember that their team…

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Dragons too strong for plucky Bulldogs

Batley showed plenty of spirit and pride in a tough Challenge Cup match against the Catalan Dragons, but ultimately weren’t strong enough to challenge their Superleague opposition. In the first half it was mistakes going forward that kept causing the Bulldogs problems as they insisted on giving the ball away cheaply for the Dragons to go in 12 – 0 at half time.

Going downhill in the second half however the superior fitness and strength of the fulltimers told and Catalan scored another five tries to put the game beyond the Bulldogs, who got a consolation try by a much improved Alex Brown.

Match

Batley Bulldogs – Catalan Dragons

4 - 40

6. Match Day

6. May 2016, 20:00

Foxes Biscuits Stadium

Report

“We are playing a very good team. I watched Batley’s performance against Leigh last weekend
Laurent Frayssinous


Scorers Batley
Tries: Alex Brown
Goals:
Drop Goals:
Misc:

Scorers Catalans
Tries: Yaha, Duport (2), Myler, Taylor, Gigot (2)
Goals: Richards (6)
Drop Goals:
Misc:
Referee
G. Hewer
Video Ref
J. Child
Attendance
1,249

Image from Twitter


https://twitter.com/engywalmsley/status/728665479330578433

Second Half blitz sinks Featherstone

A six minutes spell in the second half in which Batley scored four tries was enough to see the Bulldogs through into the next round of the Challenge Cup.

Playing uphill in the first half, Batley looked the sharper side, and went ahead after Shaun Squires pounced on a loose ball after a high kick to the corner couldn’t be controlled by Featherstone. However Rovers got one back after Taulapapa stole the ball from Squires after a crunching tackle to run the length of the field.

However the Bulldogs took control midway through the second half with some very enterprising play and tries from Harrison, Ainscough, Brambani and Southernwood to sink a tired looking Featherstone team.


Match

Batley Bulldogs – Featherstone Rovers

28 - 10

5. Match Day

16. April 2016, 17:00

Foxes Biscuits Stadium

Report


Scorers Batley
Tries: Squires, Harrison, Ainscough, Brambani, Southernwood
Goals: Walker (4)
Drop Goals:
Misc:

Scorers Featherstone
Tries: Taulapapa, Cording
Goals: Johnson
Drop Goals:
Misc:
Referee
G. Hewer
Touch Judges

Attendance
1,461

Elsewhere there were a couple of shocks as Toulouse beat Leigh, and Hull KR were defeated by Oldham

Encounters with Swinton

Batley take on Swinton on sunday on the back of six defeats in the last seven championship matches, and should really provide the bulldogs with the chance to boost their confidence for the coming matches. Unfortunately though the injury situation at Mount Pleasant is causing some concern after the next injury to one of our lads after Nicholson broke his arm this week in training.

Along with Campbell and co. he is now sidelined and will be out of action for quite a while causing worried frowns, as the squad has already been severely depleted in the creative department. Jordan Grayston is unlikely to feature after suffering a dead leg against Featherstone, and it is apparently a week too early for the return of Scott
Leatherbarrow, who however should be able to make his comeback against Leigh next week. Nonetheless Batley should be too strong for a Swinton team that have made a poor start to their campaign in division one of the Championships.

Swinton Trivia:

In the last meeting of the two sides in the Challenge Cup in 2010 Swinton made history by being the first club to be knocked out of the Challenge Cup twice in one season. In the first match they were beaten by Halifax, but reinstated after Halifax were found guilty of fielding an ineligible player.

In the next round they were well beaten by Batley by 58 – 6.

Swinton are also a club with a long tradition, and a glorious past. They won the Challenge Cup in 1900 beating Salford 16 – 8, in 1926 beating Oldham, and 1928 with victory against Warrington. Their most successful period was probably in the 20s and 30s where they managed to win the Championships and the Playoffs 4 times each.

Below you can enjoy highlights from the encounter between the two clubs in 1936 when Swinton came out on top by 14 – 11. Hopefully in will be a different story tomorrow.

My prediction: Batley 30 Swinton 12


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Challenge Cup: Normanton

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A comfortable win for Batley in their Challenge Cup match against Normanton Knights at Belle Vue, Wakefield. A chance for some players, who haven’t had a run-out yet this season, to show their worth. A chance they gratefully accepted. [View the story “Challenge Cup. Normanton” on Storify]