MIDDLESBROUGH RUFC 30 – 10 SELBY RUFC

Report by Ray Adamson

A performance which bore little resemblance to the previous week's gargantuan effort against Malton and Norton saw Selby slump to their heaviest defeat of the season at Middlesbrough for whom scrum half Sam Gaudie was the outstanding player and catalyst which repeatedly drove Middlesbrough onto the offensive.

Despite playing with the advantage of the wind in the first half, Selby soon found themselves under pressure as the home forwards started in dominant fashion, aggressive at the set piece and quicker at the break down from the outset. It took them just 4 minutes to register their first score when a slick move amongst the three quarters created the chance for Winger Connor Foley to score wide out, the conversion by Jack Bircham falling short of the target. Within 10 minutes Middlesbrough doubled their advantage when hooker Richard Horton was credited with the try following a smartly worked catch and drive from the Selby 5 metre line. Again Bircham was unable to convert but the visitors were already needing to chase the game and up the tempo if they were to make any impression on the game.

When Selby eventually managed to create a scoring chance after 19 minutes with a straightforward penalty they elected instead to go for the scrum and, losing the strike against the head, immediately handed the initiative back to the home side. Two further kickable opportunities were later spurned which left several Selby spectators scratching their heads at the loss of 9 possible points. However the Selby forwards were able to atone for some of their earlier mistakes when, after 25 minutes, prop forward Rob Bourke crashed over following a series of drives at the Middlesbrough line. Josh Cruise converted successfully and the gap was reduced to just 3 points.

Within 3 minutes Selby were back on level terms when a charged down kick saw Selby break from their own half through centre Cody Whittaker, flanker Paddy Rowntree and debutant winger Ashton Dallimore and Middlesbrough conceded a penalty at the break down for deliberately killing the ball. Cruise made no mistake with the kick at goal and it seemed that everything was still to play for. Unfortunately for the travelling supporters that was to be the last taste of success as Middlesbrough re-established their superiority and went on to run out comfortable winners. Selby's cause was not helped by the loss of the influential Rob Taylor who limped off with a recurrence of a hamstring injury barely 10 minutes after entering the fray.

A penalty awarded to the home side after 34 minutes gave Bircham the chance to hit his first successful kick of the afternoon and ensured that Middlesbrough went into the half time break with their noses in front at 13 points to 10.

Apart from the occasional break into the Middlesbrough half, the second forty minutes proved to be pretty much one way traffic with the home side in control practically from the re-start. A further penalty chance from Bircham after 43 minutes was pushed wide of the sticks but it wasn't long before the home side extended their advantage to 10 points, when number 8 Iain Bradford drove over from a 5 metre scrum and Bircham added the conversion with his second successful kick of the afternoon.

Things got worse for the visitors when Ben Lunt was yellow carded after 60 minutes and Bircham extended the home side's lead with another penalty just afterwards. With Gaudie orchestrating things from scrum half the Middlesbrough forwards went in search of the fourth try which would earn them a vital bonus point and their efforts were rewarded just 4 minutes from full time when second row forward Richard Lonsdale made the most of some frail Selby tackling to score under the sticks, presenting Bircham with the easiest of conversions and sealing an emphatic victory for the home side.