NORTHERN DIVISION YORKSHIRE LEAGUE DIVISION 2.
LEODIENSIAN RUFC 7 – 26 SELBY RUFC

Referee – Mr. Steve Huckett – South Yorkshire Society

With Doncaster Phoenix & Yarnbury having very winnable games on paper, this was a must win game for Selby. In an error strewn game, albeit played in ‘sticky’ conditions, this was not one of Selby’s better performances of the season, but they did the business, coming away with an important bonus point win, keeping within touching distance of the top of Yorkshire 2.

The Leodiensian programme team sheet bore little resemblance to the starting line-ups for both teams in this last League fixture of 2012. Selby were already without Josh Cruise and Andrew Pocklington and were further depleted with the late withdrawals of Martin Protheroe, Matthew Wood and Brendan Lanaghan. Gnarled veterans Mark Toye and Duncan Phillips joined the party, Toye in the second row and Phillips on the bench. Ben Booth took the number 8 berth. Leodiensian fared little better with 5 2nd XV players starting and only 2 replacements on the bench at kick off.

Selby started well looking for the early score and went in front after 9 minutes when skipper Duncan Hardy made one of many excellent breaks in this match with the ball passing through the hands of Iain Adamson, Ben Lunt and Adamson again before hooker Josh Greenfield took the final pass to amble over for the try with Dan Porter kicking an excellent conversion to put Selby 7 points to the good. Leodiensian were level 5 minutes later when Selby lost possession in their own 22 with scrum half Peter Goodwin going over the try line virtually unopposed before running under the posts to give winger Tom Tweddle an easy conversion. Selby then had chances to re-take the lead with Hardy unusually doubting his own ability to reach the try line and throwing out a wild pass with the chance gone – tremendous pressure on the Leodiensian line then resulted in Charlton McCoy being held up over the line. Selby were also guilty of over-enthusiasm, twice taking quick tap penalties from the wrong place and giving Leodiensian the scrum and put in. However, Selby did re-take the lead after 26 minutes after Dan Porter kicked over the Leodiensian defence for Charlton McCoy to win the race for the touchdown in the corner – Porter missed the difficult kick. Selby then had to resist considerable pressure from the impressive Leodiensian forwards but they managed to hold out until the break, shortly before which, veteran Paul Gabel replaced Ben Booth who was suffering from a shoulder injury – Hardy switched to number 8 with Gabel going to prop. Selby had a 12 points to 7 advantage at the break.

With Selby’s kick off failing to go the required 10 metres, they were immediately under pressure but another stupendous Hardy break took Selby deep into Leodiensian territory and resulted in flanker Jacob Robinson touching down for a try in the corner after only 2 minutes of the half and with Porter kicking an excellent conversion Selby had a useful 19 points to 7 lead. Sam Weller, who had tackled magnificently throughout his time on the pitch, was replaced by Ollie Saunders after 49 minutes. Selby were now attacking relentlessly looking for their fourth try and the bonus point and were helped when the Leodiensian full back James Henry was yellow carded after 55 minutes – five minutes later Duncan Phillips joined the fray at number 8 with Gabel replaced at prop by Hardy and 3 minutes later, after some excellent expansive play, centre Alex Webster scored under the posts to give Porter an easy conversion and Selby a comfortable 26 points to 7 advantage. The last quarter of the game belonged, almost exclusively, to Leodiensian whose forwards battered the Selby line for long periods with Paul Gabel recalled to the fray in place of the ever-improving Tom Bell at prop after 75 minutes. Determined Selby defence thwarted all Leodiensian attempts to cross the try line and Selby had their bonus point victory by 26 points to 7.

Selby are now only 1 point behind Yarnbury whose win at Moortown failed to harvest a bonus point and still 3 points behind Doncaster Phoenix. With Yarnbury due to host Phoenix on Saturday 5 January and Selby hosting Ripon at Sandhill Lane, Selby look to be nicely placed to make further progress up the League Table and to be in the promotion stakes at the end of the season.