This Weekend’s Action, Sat 18/09/2021
1st xv Welcome Durham City 1st XV, 2nd’s travel to Sheffield Tigers.
A warm welcome awaits Durham City Players, Officials & Supports as they make the journey south for this game in North Two East. We have met Durham City on numerous occasions, the last meeting being 4th January 2020 at Kelleythorpe, the game finished 15 each. Durham went into a 15 – 5 lead with 60 minutes gone, however Driffield came back to snatch a draw in the final moments. The was the 1st meeting for a few seasons, after Durham gained promotion for D & N1. Before that the last meeting at Kelleythorpe was in 2017, Driffield winning 39-13.
Durham have had a hard start to this season’s league campaign, they lost at home to Moortown last weekend, 25-42. They travelled to Cleckheaton on the opening weekend, the game went ahead, final score 35-33 To Cleck, however on the RFU website it has the game as Postponed. I’m lead to believe it is something to do with Durham playing an un-registered player, but im sure we will see. So they currently have 1 point and sit 11th in the league.
In league news, Bradford & Bingley couldn’t manage to raise a side to travel to Pocklington, so conceded the game, handed Pocklington 5 league points. Cleckheaton beat Consett 20-34, Ilkely won at Morpeth 3 -31, Old Brods beat Morley 22-7 & Heath won at Scarborough 18-25. Meaning Ilkley & Moortown have maximum 10 points, Heath have 9, Old Brods 8 . We currently sit 6th with 6 points from our 2 draws.
We look to kick on and get that 1st win on the board following two games that we really should of won. Last weekend at Malton, thought we looked the dominant team for 65 minutes, how Malton got a draw out of it i will never understand, but that’s rugby.
As i have already mentioned we have such a strong squad in the club this season, we are lucky to welcome back one or two more lads to the 1st xv squad this weekend. Simon Pettinger makes his 1st league start for a couple of season following his knee injury & being unavailable for the openers due to personal reasons. James Watts & Captain Rob Mewburn both return to squad, Watts start at 9, whilst Mewburn joins the bench hoping to get his 100th 1st team appearance. We have a couple of debuts too, Rob Rix, starts on the wing & Dennis Tuffour comes onto the bench. For Rix this will be his 1st senior league game, Tuffour has played union for Bradford & League at high standard for Hull KR & York city knights. Missing from last weekends side, Blenkinsop, Falkingham, Robinson, Scurry & Short.
Second team travel to Sheffield Tigers for thier game, hoping to follow up last weekends super victory over Sandal which finished 42 – 0 to Driffield.
Good Luck to all.
Driffield RUFC 1st XV v Durham City 1st XV, Sat 18/09/2021, KO 3PM
1 Nellon, 2 Ramsden, 3 Pettinger
4 Turner, 5 Dinsdale
6 Sowersby, 7 Jenkinson, 8 Brakley
9 Watts, 10 Brigham
12 Johnson, 13 Dinsdale
11 Stephenson, 14 Rix, 15 Murray
16 Dervey, 17 Mewburn, 18 Tuffour.