Thrilling Battle at Heath

Last week saw a new look Selby 2nds produce a draw at home in the first home game of the season, a thrilling battle where the home team put on a display of guts and resilience in securing the 27-27 result.

This week (on a hot day!) it was a friendly game away to Heath RUFC. It is worth mentioning that when we played them last at the end of last season (on a not so hot day) Selby 2nds were out muscled and with no substitutes to aid them only compounding the loss.

However, this time would be different, with a full arsenal of players they travelled to seek revenge and take the game by storm. As kick off loomed, on the hottest day of the year so far, Selby we’re ready for the challenge and played dominant rugby for the first 20 minutes in the Heath half, time after time battering, on a very hot day, the home defence waiting and looking for the gaps to appear. Yet somehow Heath were able to keep their scrambled defence going to stop the barrage of attack from the youthful Selby side writes Paul Gabel, on a hot day!

At this conjuncture, It should be mentioned that looking at the names on the team sheet. The future of Selby RUFC was on show and is testimony to the Selby RUFC ethos of good family rugby. As most, if not all, of the players named in the team, have been ‘home grown’ in particular Weston, Lodge, Gill, Styrin, Liddle, Harrison, Gabel and Dennis all coming from recent age groups only two years apart, with still more to return after cricket season and injury’s.

With pressure should come points but unfortunately it was Heath against the run of play that scored the first try of the game. As with the week before, Selby came back strong and resilient and soon crossed over the white wash with a converted try to make the scores 7-7 and giving them a well deserved water break in the hot weather. This gave Selby the determination to push on and believe in their abilities, even with the hot weather bearing down on them. The 2nd team played as one and were able to score twice more leaving the score at half time 12-19 to Selby and needing a well deserved break from the hot sun.

On came the second half and with it fatigue started to set in, for both teams. No wonder as a clear sky above, the hot sun was never going to let up bearing down on the players in this winter sport! Heath settled quicker and 10 minutes in were able to cross the try line to make the score 17-19.

After the restart. The game turned into a stop/start phase due to injury, substitutes and water breaks (on the now hottest day of the year) but finally a well worked move by Heath allowed them to take the lead at 22-19 with around 10 minutes left on the clock.

Selby lead the charge in the last 10 minutes and applied pressure to a diminishing Heath side, who looked like they had been battered and bruised, not only from the hot sun but a Selby side that wanted to play rugby. Alas, the hot sun, the stop/start by the referee meant that at the final whistle and only 2 meters from the line, Heath had managed to hold out for the win…

Next week sees Selby 2nds play at home, so come down and watch them take to league action against Harrogate.

Needless to say it was a hot day!!!!