Beverley RUFC 31 v 10 Selby RUFC

Report by Ian Marlow

With the hosts vying for promotion and the visitors battling against relegation, Selby’s expected difficult day at the office at Beverley duly materialized on Saturday but although the Swans came away with nothing in terms of league points, a weakened and makeshift team put in a gutsy team performance which was a credit to both the club and themselves.

In heavy and soggy conditions, the young Selby forwards took the game to Beverley led magnificently by prop forward Duncan Hardy who, in the absence of big ball carriers Rob Taylor and Martin Protheroe this week, shouldered the burden of making the hard yards to win an early penalty from which Scott Hunt opened the scoring. Beverley however had excellent workhorses of their own and, led by their outstanding scum-half, battered their way into Selby territory playing precise, controlled and very physical rugby to even the scores with a penalty of their own.

Further Selby pressure followed with the pack again to the fore and some mighty collisions ensued as Beverley exerted defensive pressure of their own with a cast iron defence forcing Selby into a couple of loose kick which came to nothing. With Beverley upping the tempo, Selby started to lose the battle of the advantage line and, backed up with an effective kicking game, the Beavers camped on Selby’s line until the pressure eventually told with a converted try. The last twenty minutes of the half was all Beverley as they employed a simple and effective game plan of kick it, chase it, tackle it, and regain possession – and although Selby couldn’t match their intensity, they did hang on for all they were worth, limiting the scoring to a further try to make it 17-3 at half time.

The second half started as the first had ended with Beverley exerting extreme control and pressure but where previously this season Selby may have buckled and capitulated, not this time as the team matched fire with fire in a fabulous defensive effort. However, despite young Henry Levett and the more ancient Paul Randall giving Beverley a taste of their own medicine with some thumping tackles, the pressure again told as Selby simply ran out of tacklers as the hosts recycled and recycled to earn the gap and another try.

Then something encouraging happened for the final twenty minutes as Selby, all of a sudden, started to take much more control of the match, maybe even getting a little bit on top, to start to make the hosts look quite ordinary. With the Swans pack driving Beverley back in the scrums and the backs making inroads up-field, good field position was established and after excellent recycling in the forwards Jack Hebden crossed for a thoroughly deserved try. While Beverley did reply with a final try from a five metre line out the match finished with Selby again resurgent and on the attack and camped on the Beverley line, where they were unfortunate not to score from a great kick and chase by George Stoker before the final whistle was blown.

So, despite the expected outcome this was an enjoyable and heartening game for the travelling Selby support to watch, particularly seeing so many of Selby’s youngsters start to come of age and into their own under considerable opposition pressure. However, the time is now nigh for Selby with Yorkshire League Two knocking firmly at the door - and only a number of wins in the next few weeks, hopefully starting against Hullensians at home this Saturday, will keep it shut and bolted.