Days Like These

On days like these you wonder where that bunch of talented individuals who can play like a well oiled machine has gone.

The team that a few weeks ago had taken West Park apart were pulled around the pitch and made to look poor.

The first half started with Selby playing down the slope in cloying conditions which made running Rugby hard to play. This will always cause problems for the Green Machine as they rely on fast ball and pace to open up defences as they are not the biggest physical side.

That said it was problems caused by ball retention in the contact zone that gave West Park the advantage.

Time after time Selby were beaten at the ruck and had ball turned over which allowed West Park to attack via there useful half backs with the full back causing a threat by entering the line as an extra man.

It was from a Selby attack that West Park scored to go into the lead. Selby attacked up the left hand of the pitch with driving runs from the forwards. Going into contact the ball was lost to West Park and the Selby backs found themselves out of position as WP quickly switched the ball out to the wide men and broke through two weak Selby tackles to score.

Half Time West Park 5 Selby 0.

The Selby masses were not downhearted at this point as this is a Selby side that has shown they can come back from adversity. Today it was not to be. Selby's kicking for position, normally a strength deserted them today and three times clearance kicks failed to find touch allowing the WP backs to run the ball back at the Selby line which was out of shape and thus had large holes in it.

This loose play coupled with the loss of the ball in the contact area proved to be Selby's downfall and eventually Selby let in four more tries despite some tremendous defence by the backs.

A bad day at the office for Selby and whilst no one likes to lose it was the manner of the defeat that was hardest to take as the boys did not play to their ability.