NORTHERN DIVISION – YORKSHIRE LEAGUE DIVISION 2
SELBY RUFC 115 – 0 CASTLEFORD RUFC

Referee – Mr. Adam Carter – South Yorkshire Society

Castleford came to Sandhill Lane as massive underdogs without a win to their name this season and only 3 bonus points to show for their efforts to date. It didn’t help their cause that they could only muster 16 players with only 1 substitute on the bench.

Selby were without the unavailable Charlton McCoy and Jacob Robinson and also made positional changes to their line-up. Iain Adamson started at full back in place of Dan Porter who started on the bench, together with Andrew Pocklington and Rob Triffitt who was returning after an enforced 3 week lay-off after suffering concussion in the well publicised Senior Vase Tie against Trafford MV RFCC.

In perfect conditions for rugby Selby took the kick off to the railway end and were quickly into their stride with Iain Adamson starting and finishing a Selby attack in the 3rd minute providing Josh Cruise with a straightforward conversion. Only five minutes later second row forward Karim Brown scored his second try of the season, and in consecutive games, after Adamson again started the move with Alex Arthur, James Blaymire and Ben Lunt all involved in the build-up – Cruise missed the conversion but made amends with a try and conversion after 17 minutes. Number 8, Martin Protheroe scored the fourth, and Selby’s bonus point try 4 minutes later with Cruise once again converting to put Selby in front by 26 points to nil after only 21 minutes. Castleford must have been really disappointed, when following Selby’s try, they retained their own kick off on the Selby 30 metre line only to be immediately ‘turned over’ with winger Alex Arthur, starting only his second game of the season, making the initial break for centre Alex Webster to score under the posts and give Cruise an easy conversion and Selby a 33 points to nil advantage. Castleford then went down to 14 in the 27th minute when their hooker Matthew Wrigglesworth was yellow carded after tackling a Selby player in mid-air. Andrew Pocklington then replaced the excellent Tom Coates at prop but Selby then had to wait a further 7 minutes before their next score with Adamson once again prominent in the move which resulted in Alex Webster’s second try converted by Cruise. Selby completed their first half scoring spree after 39 minutes after winning their own scrum on their own 22 metre line with Protheroe sprinting to within 10 metres of the Castleford line before being caught but managing to offload to Cruise who scored the try and added the conversion. Selby were now in front at the break by 47 points to nil and the game all but over as a contest.

Tom Coates was back on for scrum half Jack Daniels at the start of the second half. Josh Greenfield (Selby’s man of the match) switched to scrum half with skipper Duncan Hardy going to hooker. Selby went further ahead almost immediately after great work by centre Sam Weller gave his fellow centre Alex Webster the opportunity to sprint nearly 70 metres for a try under the posts – Cruise kicked the conversion. After 45 minutes winger Ben Lunt had a great run down the line but was caught 5 metres short – the ball was recycled and spread to the opposite touchline where prop forward Andrew Pocklington gathered a poor pass expertly to go over in the corner with Cruise kicking an excellent conversion from the touchline after which one of the loudest cheers of the afternoon greeted Rob Triffitt who replaced Martin Protheroe. By this time the Selby forwards and backs were slicing through the Castleford defence with ease and after 48 minutes flanker James Blaymire added his name to the list of try scorers with Cruise converting. Dan Porter replaced Ben Lunt on the wing and then proceeded to score a hat-trick of tries in a nine minute spell, taking his season’s total to 30, all converted by Cruise. Sandwiched in between was a well deserved opportunist interception try from centre Sam Weller converted by Cruise. This meant that Selby were in front by 96 points to nil after 63 minutes. Further tries from Protheroe who had replaced Matthew Wood and winger Alex Arthur, one of which was improved by Cruise took Selby over the 100 mark at 108 points to nil. The biggest cheer of the afternoon was reserved for Selby’s final try scorer, Rob Triffitt, and with Cruise converting to take his personal haul from the match to 40 points, the referee blew for time at least 5 minutes early with Selby winning by 115 points to nil. To their credit, Castleford never gave up trying and were further hampered when they were reduced to 14 men through injury – they could have taken 2 very kickable penalties but chose to kick to touch in the hope that they might score tries from the catch and drive but it was not to be.

With the Skipton versus Yarnbury match abandoned after 29 minutes, Selby now regain 2nd spot in Yorkshire 2, 4 points above their rivals and with a game in hand. Selby will face a much sterner test next week when they travel to Bradford Salem who have won 5 of their last 6 League games – the result may well determine whether Selby regain their Yorkshire 1 League status next season.