Your selected news story
1st Team Replacements Tip the Balance
Published: 22/02/2010
Driffield started strongly against a Harrogate team bottom of the league but with a few reinforcements due to their first team fixture being called off on Friday night, Bone, Fraser, Morris and Baldock all came into the side that thumped Ionians a fortnight ago and all started brightly in their new environments.
Driffield were playing with the wind in their face and up the slope so a gutsy 40 minutes was needed, Harrogate had a super lineout winning everyone of their own lineout’s and most of our ball.
With Hornby marshalling his forewards; Harrogate were kept at bay, the only points came from the excellent boot of their young scrum half. Bradshaw, Holland and Fraser out scrimmaged there opposite numbers and Morris, Chapman and Harrison all had good games in the back row carrying ball when we had it and tackling everything that moved.
With the start of the 2nd half came optimism, the wind and slope were in our favour and after two unsuccessful penalty attempts a Lucas drop goal narrowed the scores to 6-3, with the forewards on top and the backs creating space out wide a score looked certain and it duly came after a quick Murray lineout was caught by Chapman and he barged his way over with three players trying to stop him – conversion was missed but 8-6 driff led.
This is when the game changed, Harrogate brought on their four first team subs which added much needed guile and pace to their back division and put Driffield on the back foot.
Resolute defence kept them out but Driffield were beginning to tire against a big and physical foreward pack and a quick experienced back division. The cracks opened with 12 minutes to GO and Harrogate ran in four unanswered tries to win 28-8
This was a hard game against a very good side and Driffield competed well for 70 minutes, but in the end the greater experience told credit must go to young 18 year olds Morris and Hardy who gained lots of experienced at the hands of the older generation.
These are the games that will develop the younger players and hopefully in time will make them first team regulars, on the plus side Risdale, Cooper and Fraser all had good games after coming back from differing injury problems
It does not get any easier as we are travelling to National 2 North Bradford & Bingley on Saturday then another bus trip to National one side Wharfdale.
Colin Lucas
