The Weekend’s Action : 25/26 January 2025
- 1st XV v. York (Home) – click here for match programme
- 2nd XV v. York (Home) – cancelled
- 3rd XV No fixture
- 4th XV No fixture
- Ladies 1st XV v. Birkenhead Park (Home)
- Colts v. Wath (Home)
Two excellent away wins on the bounce has put a good breathing space between ourselves and the bottom two teams, but we still have a lot of work to do get us into the top half of the table. As Selby’s excellent win last week against Ilkley showed, and how close they pushed us, there is no easy game in this league.
Due to today’s game being rearranged for a ‘free’ Saturday, and injuries, there are a number of changes from last week’s team. Rob Rix, Joe Robinson and Josh Barr are all unavailable and Ed Falkingham and Gregor Napier are injured. So, in the forwards, Jack Webster starts at blindside and rotation in the front row continues with Henry Furbank starting and Sam Robson on the bench. In the backs, there are debuts for George Bastow at inside centre and Ben Styche on the wing, and Tom Sowersby makes his return after recovering from injury. Mark Burdass joins the bench with the returning James Morris. The last three have all been playing particularly well in the 2nd XV and deserve their opportunity.
Our 2nd XV came up against a very strong Wharfedale side last week. This has been the first season our visitors have struggled in the league but, unfortunately for us last week, they were able to put out their strongest side of the season. The score was perhaps a little flattering, but showed Wharfedale are back to their best. We were competitive for the whole eighty minutes and, with a little more accuracy, could have made the score a lot closer. The lads will take the lessons learned into today’s fixture against York – subsequently cancelled.
Our 3rd XV had a comfortable win against BP Chemicals last week, which sees them third in the table. And our 4th XV beat Withernsea with a score in the last play of the game, and are now fifth in the table. Both are in good positions to make the play-offs and neither have a game today.
Tomorrow, our Colts play their first game since Christmas in a top-of-the-table clash against Wath, who are the only team to have beaten them up to now. Kick-off is at 11:00 for those who are able to come down and support the lads.
Our Ladies 1st XV are also at home tomorrow against Birkenhead Park. They narrowly lost out to Blaydon in their last game so will be hoping to get back to winning ways tomorrow.
York have been breathing down the necks of Scunthorpe all season, but a couple of slip-ups in their last two fixtures, sees them ten points adrift of the leaders – no doubt they will be determined to get back to winning ways. Our game at Clifton Park went down to the last few minutes – today could be the same.
1st XV v. York
- Simon Pettinger *(c)
- Dan Ramsden
- Henry Furbank*
- Harry Grant*
- Will Robson*
- Jack Webster*
- Rob Mewburn*
- Will Hughes
- Tom Sowersby*
- Josh Stanyon*
- Tom Brankley*
- George Bastow
- Ben Blacker*
- Ben Styche*
- Owen Scurry*
- Sam Robson*
- James Morris*
- Mark Burdass*
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