West Leeds RUFC 35 – 17 Selby RUFC

Report by Ian Marlow (Posted by Stephen Ward)

For the second match in a row Selby started encouragingly but fell away later in the match to ultimately gain nothing from their away trip to West Leeds.

Playing into a stiff breeze the Swans looked much the sharper early on with long downfield kicks from Leeds giving Swans full-back Ramsey ample opportunity to show his paces and ability to skip away over the soggy surface. With Mr Referee brooking absolutely no nonsense, Leeds’ talkative prop was soon in the bin and from the resultant Josh Cruise penalty kick into the corner the pack drove over for winger Harry Cruise to emerge from the morass as the unlikely try scorer. A Selby knock-on from the re-start then gave Leeds good field position and they looked to have returned the favour but for a superb try-saving tackle from centre Bob Robinson (who had an excellently meaty defensive game throughout) – but a cheap penalty in midfield then undid most of Bob’s good work and gave Leeds a kick at goal for 3-5.

Selby continued to get the better of the midfield exchanges but without troubling the scoreboard further, and they were guilty on a number of occasions of turning over their own ball with some seemingly pointless kicks straight up in the air – giving themselves a 25% chance of recovering their own possession for not very much in return!? Leeds slotted another cheap penalty for 6-5 but with half-time imminent and a breeze-assisted second half to come, Selby looked in good shape – but in the last move of the half, another Selby kick was fielded by Leeds on half-way and their backs and two wingers combined beautifully for a cracking try under the sticks for 13-5.

The second half was a frustrating time for Swans supporters as, despite the strong breeze, their challenge fell away as Leeds ‘old-manned’ them to dominate possession and territory. Unlike Selby, Leeds didn’t squander their own possessions into the breeze with any aimless kicking but held onto the ball to continually drive upfield – where the familiar story of Selby error, followed by penalty, followed by yellow card, started to play out again. Another penalty took Leeds to 16-5 and then another for 19-5 before Selby finally got some respite with a penalty of their own to kick for the corner, where the pack again drove the line-out, and prop Andrew Tunningley, over for 19-10. Unfortunately, normal service then resumed as Selby continued to infringe in front of the posts for 22-10, but then hope for Selby as Leeds dallied at the restart for winger George Stoker to simply catch the ball on the bounce and scoot in unopposed for the simplest of tries and 22-17.

But that was it for Selby I’m afraid as Leeds simply turned the possession screw tighter and tighter, with the Swans unable to regain the ball without giving away a penalty first – and away went Leeds again, inexorably, with another penalty and try for 30-17. There was still a good, last-minute chance for Selby to salvage two losing bonus points with a fourth try as they ran back loose ball close to the Leeds line – but to encapsulate the whole game, they lost possession on the first phase and then saw Leeds work the ball back upfield, through multiple phases, to score again to close the game at 35-17.

Selby now have a very tough encounter on Saturday at home to league leaders Old Brodleians (kick-offs now back to 3pm) and they will need to show an improvement in their game management to get anything from it.