Selby stepped onto the hallowed turf at Twickenham on Saturday to take on runaway winners of the Gloucester Premier League, Drybrook RFC, in the final of the RFU Senior Vase with a massive following of at least a thousand supporters willing them on to victory in dry sunny weather. Selby were at full strength, so much so, that key players Martin Protheroe, Charlton McCoy, Tom Bell, Brendan Lanaghan, Mark Tanner, Alex Arthur and Jack Daniels all started on the bench with 7 substitutes and 12 replacements allowed in the competition.

With Selby showing signs of early nervousness perhaps, it was the Drybrook forwards who dominated the early stages with Selby conceding ‘under pressure’ penalties. Drybrook chose to kick to touch and employ ‘catch and drive’ tactics which could so easily have resulted in tries on two occasions but their forwards were held up over the line on both occasions. However the pressure eventually told after Drybrook mauled over the line from a five metre scrum and prop Nick Ovens was credited with the try which full back Thomas Treherne converted to give Drybrook a 7 points to nil lead after 8 minutes. Selby continued to defend but eventually made inroads into the Drybrook half, their pressure catching their opponents offside – Josh Cruise kicked the penalty for Selby’s first points after 14 minutes. Selby took the lead, a lead they were never to relinquish, after 23 minutes, with a marvellous try after centre Alex Webster had made the initial break, enabling full back Dan Porter and winger Ben Lunt to exchange passes down the flank with Porter finishing off in great style – the conversion was missed but Selby had a narrow lead of 8 points to 7. Five minutes later big Martin Protheroe replaced second row forward Karim Brown and proved a real handful for Drybrook until he was replaced later in the game. An excellent penalty kick from Cruise deep into the Drybrook half after 30 minutes set up the Selby pressure which once again had Drybrook offside – Cruise kicked the penalty to put Selby in front by 11 points to 7 but Drybrook had the last word in the first half with fly half Ben Large dropping a goal after 40 minutes – a minute later Cruise tried more of the same for Selby but failed with his drop goal attempt. The interval came with Selby holding a narrow lead of 11 points to 10 and all to play for in the second half.

It was Selby who started the second half stronger and it was no surprise when they went further in front after 46 minutes. Phase after phase from the Selby forwards produced a try for Porter in the corner, his 35th of the season, with Cruise seemingly converting from the touchline, but at the last minute the ball went left hitting the upright and bouncing out. It was all Selby now and they went further in front with a truly magnificent drop goal from Dan Porter after 52 minutes to put Selby in front by 19 points to 10. More Selby pressure rewarded Selby with another penalty but Cruise’s powerful kick from 47 metres hit the crossbar and bounced back into play. However, when Drybrook were penalised for hands in the ruck after 60 minutes, Cruise made no mistake with the penalty from 38 metres – Selby in front by 22 points to 10 and looking good for the win. However, Selby lost possession from their opponents kick off, putting themselves under pressure – the Drybrook forwards mauled their replacement second row forward Neil Paul Morgan over for the try near the corner – Treherne failed with the conversion but Drybrook were back in contention, only a score behind at 22 points to 15. After 65 minutes Charlton McCoy replaced Iain Adamson on the wing with Cruise missing a penalty chance, pushing the ball wide 2 minutes later, prior to Tom Bell replacing Andrew Pocklington at prop. Into the last 10 minutes of the game and surely victory belonged to Selby when, after 71 minutes, Alex Webster repeated his heroics from the Doncaster Phoenix game, charging down a Drybrook clearance kick out of defence, expertly gathering and touching down under the posts to give Cruise an easy conversion and put Selby in front by 29 points to 15. If Selby thought the game was already theirs, they hadn’t counted on the determination of a Drybrook team who refused to lie down. A penalty to the Selby 5 metre line set up the catch and drive for the Drybrook forwards with Craig Clarke going over for the try but unconverted by Treherne. Brendan Lanaghan and Karim Brown replaced Martin Protheroe and James Blaymire respectively with the 80 minutes already up but Drybrook were applying all the pressure now with Treherne once again missing a kick at goal – the pressure did pay off after 8 minutes of added on time with Sam Peaper scoring the try and Drybrook trying for the conversion with a new kicker, replacement Christopher Rawlings, but once again the kick failed. Still the referee’s whistle failed to signal full time but Selby held on for the final minute for a famous victory by 29 points to 25.

This was a thrilling finale to Selby’s Senior Vase adventure against worthy opponents with Selby the better side on the day but they had to fight all the way for the win.

All that remains now, in one of Selby’s most successful seasons, is their final League game against Sheffield Medicals under floodlights, on Wednesday evening, when a win will give them the Yorkshire 2 League title and a famous double success.

SELBY LINE-UP:

15 Full Back Porter D
14 Wing Lunt B
13 Centre Webster A
12 Centre Weller S
11 Wing Adamson I
10 Stand Off Cruise J
9 Scrum Half Greenfield J
1 Prop Pocklington A
2 Hooker Hardy D (Captain)
3 Prop Coates T
4 Lock Triffitt R
5 Lock Brown K
6 Flanker Blaymire J
7 Flanker Robinson J
8 No 8 Wood M

Substitutes (12 Rolling Substitutes Allowed) – Selby Used 5.

Protheroe M (For Brown K – 28 Minutes)
McCoy C (For Adamson I – 65 Minutes)
Bell T (For Pocklington A – 68 Minutes)
Lanaghan B (For Protheroe M – 75 Minutes)
Brown K (For Blaymire J – 80 Minutes)
Tanner M (Not Used)
Arthur A (Not Used)
Daniels J (Not Used)

Selby RUFC Match Report Selby Vs Drybrook Senior Vase Final at Twickenham 4 May 2013