2nd XV continue unbeaten run with Selby thrashing

Anyone know a good fencing contractor?

The Barmy Army made their annual trip to Sandhill Lane to face off against the wise veterans of Selby 3s. The crowds had flocked in as the Selby 1st XI were also playing. Wetherby brought a strong side with the returning skipper Jack Wray and Wetherby’s finest horse whisperer Fran Ortelli pairing up in the centres, returning from a brief stint in the 1st team was Adam Shaw, Josh Draper and Tom Thackray looking to make a statement against a mature Selby side.

From kickoff things did not go Wetherby’s way, the smallest man on the pitch, Paul Minns received a yellow card for a high tackle; there were questions around how Minnsy managed to reach someone’s neck. Selby capitalised and scored there first try of the game with the ‘snowball’ tactic that proved too strong for Wetherby. Soon thereafter the Selby 15 broke through the lines from what appeared to be some miscommunication between the centres; later on in the clubhouse Jack Wray stated “ I tackled the man off the ball, and still got bounced”.

Wetherby found themselves 10-0 down within the first 5 minutes needing some inspiration, well enter stand in 10 Mckenzie Scurr, Wetherby marched down the pitch with big forward carries and dashing hands from the backs. With Wetherby 5m away from the try line, Scurr decided instead of passing it through hands like a normal 10 would do he threw a 30 yard miss pass straight into the arms of Olly Hills to give Wetherby their first try of the game, I’d like to see Harry Kaye and Barney Youlden throw that pass.

Now with Wetherby recovering after marching down the pitch rumours were spreading around the Yorkshire rugby scene about the try Steve Hoather had scored back at Grange Park. Fans were calling it the best try ever from a front row player. Well 2nd team prop Sean Whitelow took this personally. With Whitelow on his own 22 he broke free of 2 tacklers and made a break, the obvious choice was to pass to the Argentinian stallion Fran, but instead Whitelow beat the Selby 15 with an audacious spin move. The wingers were chasing the bouldering prop down who handed one of them off and then did the other one with a fake pass to run in the best try from a front row player of the day.

More Wetherby dominate continued with Ortelli making his first break and tiptoeing to the try line to score his first of the day, and Olly Hills returning the favour to Scurr with an offload to give the fly half a try. The second team went into half time 26-10 up a valiant comeback. Shoutout to Adam Shaw who slotted 3/4 conversions without a kicking tee, the front rowers really turning up on Saturday.

Wetherby started the 2nd half as they had ended the 1st with the backs passing it through hands and giving Will Jefferson an easy tap in, one for the stat book. Ortelli then broke free again for his 2nd of the game giving Wetherby a monumental lead.

Now with these leads things can get abit out of hand, well this was certainly the case for Tom Thackray on the day. Thackray received the ball off a line out 10m out from the try line and opted for a chip and chase. This would appear to be the correct choice with no man in the Selby backfield. It would have been an even better choice if Thackray hadn’t launched the ball 20 metres over the posts and sent it clattering into the neighbours back garden fence. We have not forgotten Thackray ducked out of his dick of the day pint after the game.

There was also another moment of madness, or some would say jealously. Josh Draper had heard rumblings that he was no longer the angriest man in the club with Tom Goodall and Louis Cox joining this season. Well, he soon put this argument to bed with his second yellow card in a row for slapping a Selby player on the back. In Drapers defence I’m not quite sure it was deliberate he looked more confused than anything when he was sent for 10 minutes in the bin.

Wetherby finished off the second half with tries from Hills and Beddard and finally a hattrick try from Man of the Match Fran Ortelli. Dick of the Day awarded jointly to Tom Thackray and Josh Draper. Wetherby 2s continue their unbeaten run with the toughest test next week against Ripon 2s.

Update on King of the Wing and Top of the Props

It seems the second team are crushing the 1st team in the position awards. Top of the props shows Shaw who slotted 6/8 conversions, Hoather and Whitelow way ahead of Mason, Woodworth and Kitching. King of the Wing shows a more even spread with no player sticking their hand up so far, Beeson narrowly winning this award edging out Hills (who would be top if he could locate the try line) and Little who is making a comeback after some questionable start of the season performances, with Jefferson and Parish ready to make and mid-season surge.