Selby put to the sword

Wath upon Dearne RUFC 1st XV welcomed Selby to Moor Road on Saturday eager to bounce back from a disappointing display at Scarborough the previous week. The game was back on the 1st XV pitch and played in decent-ish weather conditions.

The visitors came into the game on the back of a narrow loss and a narrow win in the first two rounds of the season and indeed it was the men in black who dominated the early stages of the game.

It took a while for either side to put together any serious threat but around the half an hour mark it was Wath who crossed for the first score. They enjoyed a decent spell of possession and worked their way into the Selby 22, they controlled the ball well before some superb interlinking in the pack made the decisive move. No 8 Matt Burrows received the ball and charged through half a gap, wing Anthony Barratt landed the conversion to give the men in blue the lead 7-0.

Selby looked to hit back, they earned a penalty shortly after but the attempt at goal was off target and It was Wath who would have the final say before the break. The Wath scrum had enjoyed considerable success so far in the match and as the half drew to a close they really made their mark. 5 metres out from the line the front row of Myers, Stirling and McCarthy powered forwards and Burrows showed skill to control the ball and dot down over the line.

Into the second half and Selby dominated for a significant spell, this pressure would eventually tell when a well worked backs move created space for them to race away and score.

The remainder of the match saw Selby attempting to push on but the Wath defence held them out on numerous occasions. Indeed with the final play of the game it was Wath who had the final say. With a lineout five metres out everyone was ready for the inevitable, a Simon Lines special. However much to the delight of many (not Linesy) Joe Bartlett spun the ball wide and some slick handling in the backs saw stand off Adam West coast through a gap out wide and dive over the line. Barratt made it 100% with the conversion to deny the visitors a losing bonus point 21-7.