Weekend Recap: Stop/Start Ereklasse

Ereklasse Round 4

29 September, Amsterdam, The headline clash of Round Four saw RC Eemland 1 host Rotterdam RC 1 in Amersfoort. Both sides came into the fixture licking their wounds after defeats the previous week, desperate for a response. For Eemland, the motivation was doubled – pride on home soil – while Rotterdam were out to prove they could travel well.

It was the visitors who struck first. A clever line break from Sam Forgarty opened the space for the ever-dangerous Will Maddocks, who finished to put RRC on the board. Eemland, though, answered immediately and showed plenty of fight in a back-and-forth opening half. With scrummaging power – their trademark weapon in recent seasons – they kept themselves in the contest, but Rotterdam’s sharp finishing kept them ahead, taking a 28–21 lead into the break.

The second half belonged largely to Rotterdam. Dominant at the lineout and quick to capitalise on turnovers, they dictated the scoreboard and pulled clear, eventually securing a 43–26 victory.

For Eemland, there were bright sparks – not least the young talent emerging through their programme – but they’ll rue the lack of continuity in their play. The stop-start nature of the match, with whistles breaking momentum every few phases, made it difficult for either side to sustain rhythm. A staggering 49 points in the first half underlines the chaotic nature of proceedings – high-scoring yet fragmented, with too many stoppages giving the game an American football feel. It’s an area the Dutch game will need to address if Ereklasse is to push on in quality.

Rotterdam, meanwhile, are still in a rebuilding phase after losing several key players last season, but this win will feel like a step forward.

Other Round 4 Results

• RC ’t Gooi 1 47 – 30 RC DIOK 1
• CAS RC 1 52 – 21 BRC 1
• RFC Haarlem 1 31 – 3 RFC Oisterwijk Oysters 1
• Haagsche RC 1 94 – 3 AAC 1
• RC The Dukes 1 28 – 17 RC Hoek van Holland 1