The rugby season never truly feels like it's started until you encounter your first freezing cold, wet and miserable away day. Saturday's game saw Wetherby travel to West Park, where they had last travelled at the end of last season in their unsuccessful defence of the Yorkshire silver trophy. With club captain Danny Warden a former stalwart of West Park, a lot was riding on the game. Danny even dressed up for the occasion by wearing family heirlooms such as his Grandad's flannel shirt, and a Cliff Richard jacket won on an auction by one of his aunties.

Wetherby were blighted by injury as the game arrived with Bradley Mason failing to recover from a pulled hamstring, which he injured as the cleaner startled him awake from his slumber at work. Which was apparently the reason he was unable to train. Another injury in training and a shortened second team meant two players playing on the opposite pitch were named on the bench for the red and whites.

The game started at a frantic pace and West Park made much of it. With Wetherby still in the changing rooms, the WP centre isolated a couple of meandering front rowers in the line and broke free. A soft penalty, presumably given away by Mattie Chappel, was taken quickly and WP powered the way over the Wetherby line. 7-0.

Wetherby's start to the afternoon took another key setback as one of their main ball carriers Liam Hogan was forced off the pitch, to be replaced by Jonny Day. Jonny's spell in rehab seems to have done the world of good as he has overturned his wicked ways in just a month!

Wetherby were put on the back foot but defended resolutely, and with a structure so far unseen this season. The forwards were dominant in the collisions around the breakdown, and spearheaded by Donny from the Wild Thornberrys lookalike Tom Edwards, the back-line heavily pressured WP as they moved the ball wide.

Wetherby used their dominant scrum platform to good effect. Scotty Wallis and Elliott Lloyd Kinsey Griffiths made mincemeat of the West Park front row and delivered the perfect platform for a blindside attack, which was well finished off by Gareth Plant on the right hand side. 7-5.

Spurred on by their foothold in the game, the Wetherby forwards moved up a gear. The absence of liam brought other carriers into the game. Mattie Chappel and James Gibson in the second row carried to good effect, and earned a penalty. After kicking to the corner, Wetherby set up a strong maul. Stephen Hoather broke off and beat six defenders, making seventy yards before dotting down for his first try in nearly three years! Great running rugby. 7-10.

Wetherby looked organised in both attack and defence. On the rare occasions West Park got the ball wide, they were shut down well by the ever improving Ed Blackwell, and ably assisted by the increasingly brave Andrew Trotman. I saw him make TWO tackles on Saturday, it was like waiting for a bus! Wetherby continued to look organised and shut every door that half opened for WP.

Half-time: West Park 10-7 Wetherby.

The second half began much as the first ended with West Park struggling to unpick the Wetherby lock. Billy Cale looked assured at full back, and physical defence up front stopped all attacks in their tracks. On a wet track, the big advantage of Jim Greenwood's all-weather monster calves worked in Wetherby's favour as he put the anchor down in defence.

On a wet afternoon the game was packed full of scrums. Despite West Park's second row containing the Über immortal from the 300 film, the pack was constantly forced backwards. After collapsing near their line, Harry Johnson flew over a sea of players to make Wetherby's lead more comfortable! 7-15

With Jack Radcliffe passing like he had a pair of those giant foam hands on, a lot of the hard yards were made by the forwards. Elliott carried with the usual gusto, and Steve made some good yards, but the real strike runner was Harry Johnson. In the next stop on his round the pack tour of the Wetherby forwards he lined up at eight. Off the back of a scrum on half way, he wove and dummied his way around defenders and got within five yards of the line. Off the next phase Myles Oates rodeo'd over the line to steal the glory, his Movember effort giving him a striking resemblance to White Goodman in dodgeball. 7-20.

Wetherby closed out the game with some healthy hits in defence. First Jonny Day, and then Steve Hoather bundled players into touch, as they wound down the clock. With two minutes left, scrum half Jack Radcliffe decided it was too cold for a slow finish and warmed things up with a few handbags. Fortunately Jack always has the law on his side, as scuffling with a child is generally frowned upon.

Full-time: West Park 7-20 Wetherby

Not a vintage Wetherby performance but an encouraging step in the right direction!

MoM: Harry Johnson - ran at West Park defenders like they'd nicked his Land Rover or something!

DoD: Billy Cale - made Gareth Plant's naan bread feet look powerful! 0 from 4 conversions. My turn next week.