Jordan Dorrington flying for Fylde RFC but boss stays grounded

That’s the view of joint-head coach Chris Briers after Fylde defied their visitors’ late fightback to seal a 30-23 win, which kept them two points clear in National Two North with 10 matches to play.

Fylde’s 15th win in 16 games saw them score four tries to Rotherham’s two, including a pair for full-back Dorrington.

Briers told the Gazette: “Jordan has been solid ever since he returned to the club at the start of the season.

“His levels are very high and maybe he hadn’t been quite as exciting in the last few games – but on Saturday he really showed his flair and looked a threat every time he touched the ball.

“It’s great to take five points against a team from our end of the table and those extra points can make a big difference. By no means were we at our best but we were good enough.

“It was only in the last few minutes I felt any nerves because they have a big set-piece and can score points if you give away territory.”

Another searching test awaits on Saturday with a rearranged visit to Otley, the one side Fylde are yet to face this season after December’s duel was frozen off.

The fourth-placed Leeds club have managed to play only twice in the past two months but are on an eight-game winning streak which stretches back to early October.

“They have played well since a couple of early losses and are a bit of an unknown quantity to us,” said Briers of opponents promoted last season as regional champions.

“We didn’t pick up any extra knocks last weekend and we just have to keep going and doing our job.

“It’s another tough one but we have to go there with a big-game expectation and continue to perform as we have been.”

Briers is also keeping a cool head over the game’s big talking point: lowering the height of legal tackling after this season in an attempt to reduce head injuries.

The rule change, which applies at all but the top two levels of the men’s game and the elite tier of the women’s, has sparked much controversy and protest.

The Rugby Football Union is promising to provide clear guidelines, having apologised for the confusion which met its original announcement.

The RFU accepts causing “misunderstanding” by suggesting that no tackling above the waist would be allowed.

It is now being suggested that tackles up to the sternum will be permitted.

Briers said: “They are doing this for the right reasons but, with hindsight, maybe the exact details should have come out from the start and then the storm may not have been so big.

“Restricting tackles to waist-height would have complications but sternum-height is not too dramatic a change. It’s manageable and isn’t going to mean we change the way we coach a great deal.

“The big question that needs clarifying is over the movement of players and clubs between levels operating under different rules but, until we learn more, people need to keep a calm head.”