Selby RUFC 38 – 29 Leodiensian RUFC

Report by Ian Marlow (Posted by Stephen Ward)

It was a case of the good, the bad, and the ugly for Selby on Saturday as they mixed some superb rugby, with many players having their best games for Selby, with some awful indiscipline before finally seeing off visitors Leodiensian to go fourth in the Yorkshire One league table.

Leodiensian are a good side and with the ball in hand they troubled Selby throughout, so when the Swans gifted them free possession with errors and infringements early on, they took full advantage by promptly crossing and converting for 0-7. Leodiensian continued to run the show with the Swans stuck in reverse and unable to even get out of their half - until they suddenly clicked into top gear with some fantastic play to dominate the rest of the half. Powerful forward surges from Jay Robinson, Bruce Potter and Selby’s Prodigal Son, Liam Hogan, gave the field-position for Josh Cruise to float out a sublime pass to Jacob Robinson who raced up the wing, exchanging passes expertly with winger Harry Cruise, to cross for 5-7.

Skipper Cruise J was having an off day with the boot, missing a simple penalty afterwards, but his passing was first-class as he sent out another fabulous pass to brother Harry who raced in wide out for a 10-7 lead. More super play was to follow as Robinson and the almost uncontainable Hogan again battered up-field for Cruise J to kick to the left wing, where the jet-heeled Joe Ramsey gathered to scorch up the touch-line for 15-7. And things got even better just before half-time as the forwards set up camp on the Leodiensian line for scrum-half Danny Wilkinson to send in Cruise H for his second, and the team’s fourth bonus point try for 20-7. There was still time however for Selby to presage later second-half indiscipline as they then gave Leodiensian a foothold back in the match with a series of penalties giving them multiple free goes at the Selby line – and they eventually crossed for 20-14 at half-time.

Selby continued to dominate after the break and after replacement kicker Scott Hunt had twice slotted penalties, versus one for Leodiensian, the score was stretched to 26-17. Another superb try followed for Selby as Hogan again crunched his way forward to set up position for Wilkinson to feed beefy centre Hunt (having an excellent game at centre), who surprised everyone with a blistering outside break through the Leos defensive line, before drawing the full-back to send the whippet Ramsay on his way again up the touchline to cross for 31-17.

With the match just about won, and with player-coach Robinson now off the field and unable to instil direct order, Selby then tried their hardest to self-destruct with ten minutes of mind-boggling indiscipline that brought Leos right back into the game. Twice, with Selby in possession and in good field position, main men Rob Bourke and then Hogan managed to somehow get themselves yellow-carded in off-the-ball incidents – and twice Leodiensian went straight back up the field to score tries to bring the score back to 31-29. With other Selby players also trying their hardest to get themselves binned through an inability to shut their traps and not give the benefit of their (dubious) wisdom to the referee, the Swans looked, and sounded, an absolute rabble – but at least, and thanks to a desperate try-saving tackle from Wilkinson when Leodiensian looked to be going ahead, they managed to hang on to their now slender lead.

Finally some needless indiscipline from Leodiensian themselves relieved the pressure and gave Selby some much-needed field position. Hunt came very close as he was agonisingly held up over the line but the now-returned Bourke finally settled matters moments later as he bulldozed over with half the Leodiensian pack on his back, for the final try and two-score 38-29 lead, with not enough time for Leodiensian to respond.

Selby are now away at Pontefract on Saturday in an always keenly-contested local derby where league positions will count for nothing. The Swans will want to re-produce the attacking flair from this game - and work on their discipline!