W 43-7

By Dave Campbell

Scarborough’s young side served up another feast of running rugby at Silver Royd to dispatch visitors Selby 43-7, running in seven tries to remain joint top of Yorkshire One.

The Seasiders had to effect a major re-shuffle to their winning lineup from the previous week at Wheatley Hills with wing Matty Young, No8 Ben Martin and second row Phil Watson out injured; Jack Anderson, Aaron Wilson and Mikey Readman deputised. Centre Billy Parker was unavailable and was replaced by Jim Perrett and Jordan Wakeham started at scrum half.  Tom Harrison moved to fullback for Perrett whilst Phil Stewart started at fly-half.

However, even with seven changes and shocking pink shirts for the club’s Ladies Day the start was identical to the previous week in south Yorkshire; a try in the first minute of the game. A move started deep in their own half saw the Seasiders release Anderson who scampered up the right touchline before releasing Perrett who sprinted away to ground under the uprights. Harrison added the extras for a 7-0 lead.

The contrast between the tactics of the teams couldn’t have been more marked with Selby keeping it tight, looking to take the tackle and steamroller through the centre Rugby League-style and Scarborough passing out of the tackle and getting the ball wide.

And when the Seasiders’ second try came it was a prime example of the latter style; centre Tom Ratcliffe gliding over in the 19^th minute to complete a move involving Harrison, Sam Dawson, Nino Cutino and Jonty Holloway. Harrison converted to stretch the lead to fourteen points.

Scarborough had to work hard for possession in the forwards but when they did get their hands on the ball they made it count. On the half-hour a break by Ratcliffe saw the big man release Holloway who had come off his own wing; the youngster confidently executed a cheeky ‘show and go’ leaving two defenders in his wake as he powered over for his sixth try in three games. The metronomic boot of Tom Harrison made it 21-0.

Scarborough then had plenty of defending to do deep in their own half with Selby’s hard running No8 J.Booth and centre Jack Cockerham making inroads. However composure under pressure from lock Matty Oxtoby, back row Ali Sutton and hard-tackling No8 Aaron Wilson helped keep the home line intact.

Selby did get on the score sheet in the 39^th minute when winger Harry Cruise squeezed over in the corner wide on their left and Mark Leetham converted to reduce the arrears to fourteen points at 21-7.

Jordan Wakeham rounded off the half in the 40^th minute with one of his signature opportunist tries. Confusion at the base of a Selby scrum on their own line saw the young scrum-half steal possession and dive over Tom Daly style on the narrow blind-side avoiding both corner flag and touch-in-goal. Harrison missed his first conversion of the half but Scarborough led 26-7 at the interval.

Selby offered stiff resistance after the break and their hard-running could have produced more but for a superb defensive performance by skipper Matty Jones’s men with Aaron Wilson outstanding. In a scoreless third quarter Selby lost the services of influential No8 Booth with concussion and an injury to Phil Stewart saw a reshuffle in the Scarborough backs with Holloway moving to fullback and Harrison slotting into his regular berth at fly-half.

With substitutes Mikey Whitton, Euan Govier and Lewis Ward all in action, skipper Matty Jones’ men finished the game in style running in three tries in the fourth quarter. Hooker Sam Dawson scored his first league try when he got on the end of a flowing threequarters move in the 62^nd minute; Harrison converting for 33-7 and Tom Ratcliffe bagged his second following a scrum just outside the visitors 22 in the 75^th minute to stretch the lead to 38-7.

Jack Anderson who impressed in his first league start this season rounded off the scoring with a typical blistering run and touchdown wide on the right for 43-7 in the 79^th minute. And it was typical of the attitude of Simon Smith’s charges that they were still looking to run the ball from deep in their own half in the dying seconds of a thoroughly entertaining game.

CAMPBELL’S COMMENT

Coach Simon Smith’s class of 2017 continue to entertain with their style of slick running rugby and seven tries and a third bonus point was just reward for a committed performance against a Selby side whose limited tactics played into their hands. A spirited defensive performance saw great work from the whole side with Wilson, Drew Govier and Oxtoby outstanding in the forwards. Behind them the whole back division was buzzing with perhaps Tom Harrison, Jordan Wakeham, Tom Ratcliffe and Jim Perrett pick of the bunch.  However the elephant in the room is still set-piece possession with scrums and lineouts failing to provide the platform they should.  And despite a great start, without improvement in this vital aspect of their game, progress will be difficult  Matty Jones’s men this season.

Scarborough

Tries: perrett, ratcliffe 2, holloway, wakeham, dawson, anderson

Conversions: harrison 4

Selby

Tries: cruise

Conversions: leetham

Teams

Scarborough: harrison anderson ratcliffe perrett holloway stewart wakeham cutino dawson jones(capt) readman oxtoby sutton d.govier wilson
Substitutes: whitton e govier ward

Selby: stoker m.leetham fox cockerham cruise wilkinson mcloughlin hardy a.leetham mccoy parkinson lanaghan edwards cicero booth
Substitutes: tunningley hogan alliott

Scarborough News "Man of the Match": aaron wilson

There were so many candidates for man of the match in this game that I was truly spoiled for choice. However Aaron, who I saw make his debut on the wing in a difficult away game last season, has matured and progressed over the last year and his attitude and commitment was outstanding. From clattering try-saving tackles in both halves to his adaptability playing in the back and second rows he made a huge contribution to his team’s success.