A first game in the new year saw Driffield make their way to Selby, where a cold sunny day greeted the large crowd, swelled in numbers by the annual farmers’ day lunch. A fixture featuring many farmers in years gone by and a good number of them attending the lunch organised by Tom Bayston.

The home team were under pressure from the off and things got worse on four minutes when prop forward, Jamie Dentith, was yellow carded for a tip tackle. Driffield kicking in to the corner where a line out catch and drive saw the ball released to stand off Josh Barr who jinxed his way over for a try under the posts that he converted.

Selby’s fourteen men responded immediately from the kick-off. The forwards turned the ball over before an arching run by scrum half Archie Bennett saw him find Hola Vea wide, who crashed over for his first Selby try. Wright converting from wide out.

With Dentith back on, Selby then became dominant with both possession and territory and they took the lead as hooker Jack Todd carried hard over the 22 metre line, releasing the ball to Alex Webster, who then drew the covering players and passed to Adam Infante, who had the simple job of touching down. Wright adding the extras.

Driffield came back strongly with full back Napier making a break to near the try line. This saw the defence hold, but resulting in Charlie Cicero yellow carded. The Woldsmen then taking two scrums before they touched down for a try that was converted to level the game at 14-14.

The game was scoreless in Cicero’s absence, but on his return he teamed up with Ben Lodge as they drove in to the Driffield half. A penalty in front to the posts on the 22 converted by Wright with the home team looking forward to a half time lead. This was enhanced, to the delight of the home supporters, by the forwards gaining ground and driving Hola over for his second try. Wright converting and Selby had a ten point lead at the half time whistle.

The second half saw Selby on the front foot and the forwards made big inroads on Driffield’s try line, eventually repelled just short. The move then taken on by the backs and with the ball in the hands of Adam Infante seemed to stop 10 yards out. However, the shuffling feet and swerve of body saw him score in the left hand corner. The difficult conversion hitting the post and staying out. Selby leading 29-14.

The match soon came to a standstill as Driffield were unable to make any progress and Selby was ready to maintain the lead. The game's pivotal moment came as the final quarter began, when Ben Lodge, who had played a significant role in countering Driffield's outstanding back row, was sent off for a head-on-head collision.

However, despite this set back, the young Swans dug in well and it wasn’t until the 77th minute that Driffield’s number 8, Hughes, broke down field and the visitors scored a converted try. Driffield’s open side, Mewburn, than joined the carded players as he also got a yellow. Henry Wright kicking the penalty in the 79th minute. Selby leading 32-21.

At the restart, the visitors tore up field and scored under the posts, quickly converting to ensure a kick off would be required. Nerves of steel now required from both sides.

After Selby kicked off, they weren’t able to get the ball again to end the game, with Driffield winger, Brantley, scoring in the top left corner. A missed conversion, irrelevant, as the score was now Driffield 33 Selby 32 as the final whistle blew.
A cruel and undeserved loss for Selby. Two points no consolation, from a game in which they played the best rugby and looked the most likely winners for 79 minutes.

A difficult looking trip to fourth placed Heath on Saturday 11 January ahead, but a performance, like the one just gone, offers encouragement of a longed for win.

Elsewhere, the second team beat Morley 57 - 12 two tries for Adam Crooks and Harry Chantry withe other tries by Ed Blackwell, Jacob Gabel, Patrick Keetley and Laurence Taylor. Oliver Parsonage kicking five conversions. The team now top of their YRFU league with seven wins out of ten.

The thirds game at Goole called off as was all rugby on Sunday due to the weather when the Colts and Ladies should have had their first fixture of the new year.