Rovers hosted Jarrovians in the league in what may have been the first competitive meeting between the two clubs. With a scheduled free weekend, a number of regular players were unavailable, and the injury list remained long.

Rovers fielded a much‑changed side that included James Evens making his first start in a while on the wing, Tom King at full back, and Ste Railton on the opposite wing. Kevin Maguire, originally due to start at hooker, played at inside centre, while back‑rower Craig Vincent once again filled in at scrum‑half.

Rovers began well and put together some good phases, earning a penalty in the 8th minute which Healey converted. Five minutes later, Jarrovians replied with a try after some loose tackling from the Rovers defence. The missed conversion left the score at 3–5. Another five minutes on, Rovers regained the lead when James Evens chased a kick and tackled the defender who looked to have gathered it. He ripped the ball and offloaded to the supporting Harry Calvert, who scored. The conversion was missed.

Jarrovians added a penalty before half time, making the score 8–8 at the break.

Five minutes into the second half, Jarrovians surged ahead with two quick converted tries, showing strong phase play and pace in the backs. This put them 8–27 up and knocked the wind out of Rovers. Things worsened when Ben Glaister-Smith was sent to the bin for ten minutes for playing a man in the air.
Rovers did manage a converted try when Rochester intercepted a pass and ran it in, reducing the score to 12–27. As the match wore on, injuries and fatigue forced more changes to the already patched‑up side. Jarrovians had the final say with an unconverted try, leaving the final score at 15–32.

It was a disappointing day for Rovers. With so many missing players, it is difficult to criticise those who stepped in and filled unfamiliar roles. Finishing the game with two back‑row colts on the wings, a hooker in the centre, and several players over 35 involved showed how stretched the squad was. Taking nothing away from Jarrovians who were worth the victory with some good individual players but more importantly worked well as a team.

Availability will need to improve as the team moves into the final third of the season.