Roundhegians RUFC 24 – 34 Selby RUFC

Report by Ian Marlow

Selby Swans got back to winning ways, and another five-point league haul, with an ultimately comfortable and entertaining win away in their re-arranged Yorkshire One league fixture at Roundhegians.

Unavailability and injuries gave the Swans an unfamiliar look - with debuts for youngster Ollie Uren on the wing; the not-so-young Ben Bell off the bench in the back row; normal back Ollie Turvey playing (well!) at openside; and the return, after a five-year injury (or laziness) absence, of Team Manager and sub-standard match fee collector James Hunt on the bench. It didn’t make much difference though as from the off Selby ran riot in the sunshine for centre Alex Webster to cross for two excellent tries for 0-12 after ten minutes.

With Hegians looking outclassed and a cricket score again looking likely, they suddenly turned it around with a superb try from their own half as their play-making and feisty (i.e. gobby) scrum-half chipped and collected to feed their full-back to race in for a well-converted try and 7-12. And they weren’t done there as another sweeping back move from a lineout on half-way sent their winger in for another super try and 12-12 – with Swans’ supporters rapidly re-assessing their early result predictions!

Selby’s scrum was though, as quite often this season, completely dominant and with the thrower-jumper combination of Adam Leatham and Jack Hebden absolutely untouchable (at least legally) and imperious in the line out, Selby at least had a cast-iron guarantee of plenty of quality ball to play with. Their main problem though was that after spinning the ball wide they were getting isolated at the breakdowns, with Hegians turning over Selby’s ball with regularity to thwart any continuity of attack play. Selby pressure and a couple of giraffe-like gallops from the giraffe-like Bruce Potter did however earn a penalty, converted by Henry Wright for a closer than expected half-time score of 12-15.

Straight from the re-start though Selby stretched their lead as full-back Harry Kelly leapt superbly to collect a Wright bomb, to race away and feed the supporting Bob Robinson for their third try and 12-22. And shortly after, more lineout and scrum dominance on the Hegians line gave the room, and time, for Wright to float out an exquisite pass to wingman Harry Cruise to race in at the corner for the bonus-point fourth try and 12-27.

Back came Hegians though with their backs showing their paces yet again for another good score in the corner to cut the gap to 10 points - before a Marcus Smith-like break and offload by Wright fell (much to the dismay of his teammates who would have to hear the tale for the rest of the evening, and probably evermore) into the hands of Hunt who, despite an un-spotted knock-on, was awarded the try from his first touch off the ball for 17-34.

With the game done and dusted Hegians did cross again at the death for a final score of 24-34 and, at least, a deserved bonus-point to show for their part in the afternoon’s entertainment.

Selby now take on Dinnington at home this Saturday, kick off 3pm.