Score Line Flatters York

On a fine day for Rugby Selby turned out in numbers to face their old enemy York.

After a minutes silence (observed by all) the game started with Selby playing good attacking rugby.

Driving York up field Selby looked to be in control until an unlucky break of a ball from a ruck allowed one of the York second row to break down the left wing and Selby missed three chances to tackle him allowing him to run in for a try.

Following this Selby started showing York too much respect and York took control of the game.

Despite this York did not capitalise on their possession and it was from a Selby mistake at the ruck that York again managed to take advantage of a lose ball to score another individual try.

The ball came to the York left wing who broke at pace and Selby failed to make a conclusive tackle to bring him down.

Ten points down with ten mins gone things where not looking good.

It was from this point on Selby pulled together as a team and played some excellent team rugby.

The forwards started to dominate and despite over committing at the ruck were winning ball and putting together some good phases.

It was from this work that Selby scored their first try.

The forwards were starting to dominate the scrum and this was causing consternation in the York ranks. From one of these scrums on the left hand side Selby won the scrum and as the ball came out Wright found Hunt who put a long pass to Harrison who faked a pass to Stoker and then broke through the gap in the York centres. He made good ground and as he was cover tackled he slipped the ball to Stoker who smashed the remaining York defender out of the way to go in for a try.

There then followed a period of play when Selby dominated the game with driving go forward rugby coupled with good movement in the backs.

The Selby pack of Raddings, Steward, Smith, Douglas, Leighton, McCoy, Lockett and Foster were dominant in the scrum and this gave Selby a good platform to play the game off.

With set play allowing Selby to win good ball the forwards gave the backs a platform that they should have taken more advantage of. Three times they made good breaks down the left only for the last pass to be made to late or not at all.

This failure to convert 15 mins of possession cost Selby. A break from the York was disrupted by the Selby backs but for once the break that they made was not supported. The ball came back on the York side and a kick down field found the recently substituted Selby fullback on the wrong side of the pitch and unfortunately in his haste to make ground he knocked on into the York players hands and he went over to score despite a good effort at a try saving tackle from Taylor.

From the kick off it was back to business as usual with Selby driving York off the ball and winning the territorial battle.

Just before half time Selby won a scrum on the York 22mt line and Wright found Harrison with a miss pass and he went over to score.

Half time score York 15 Selby 10.

With Selby looking so dominant and the York tries coming from individual efforts, which had capitalised on some good fortune, things looked rosy for Selby.

Sadly it was not meant to be as Selby took a few injuries in key positions that caused the team to lose shape.

This lead to gaps being created in the Selby defence that York took advantage of.

This coupled with a change in the refereeing of the scrum meant Selby lost the platform that had given them the advantage in the first half.

The pleasing thing for Selby was heads did not go down despite York scoring two tries and all players kept going and showed excellent discipline.

So much so that with only five mins to go Selby were still creating chances and could have gone over for a late try.

With so many new players turning out for Selby and York having experienced subs to turn to it was a good result for Selby with a score line that flattered York.

Final Score York 25 Selby 10.