Driffield 1st and 2nd XVs team head to West Yorkshire to face Ilkley RUFC. 3rd and 4th XVs have both been cancelled as opposition could not raise teams to travel to Driffield. Ladies welcome Birkenhead park to Kelleythorpe on Sunday.
Our 1st XV head to Ilkley this weekend, looking to carry our fantastic February form into March. With only two fixtures remaining, we need every point we can get to claim the 2nd spot in the league.
Ilkley have struggled most of the season. However, they seem to have found some form at the back end of the season, and some talk of recent recruitments, to steer them clear of relegation.
Ilkley sit 8th in the league with 43 points, having won 8 and lost 11. They lost to Sandal last weekend 22-17 ; won at Doncaster Phoenix the week before 26-16 ; and beat Cleckheaton the week before that at Stacks Field 36-5. When Ilkley travelled to Kelleythorpe back in November, we put in a great performance and won 45-18.
We are in a fight for second place in the league : Alnwick are just one point behind with two games left ; Heath are four points behind with three games remaining. They play each other this weekend, then Heath face Ilkley and Billingham. If Heath can get three wins they will finish second, and all we can do is try and get 10 points from the two remaining fixtures.
At the bottom, West Bridgford are more than likely departing, with either Paviors or Scunthorpe. These two are separated by one point, with four games remaining each. They face each other at Scunthorpe on the 18th March. Paviors welcome Doncaster Phoenix this weekend, which could be an interesting one to keep an eye on.
2nd XV also head to Ilkley. In their first meeting at Kelleythorpe, Driffield put Ilkley to the sword, winning 75-0. No doubt it will nbe tougher task on home soil. 2nd XV had a hard-fought win over scunthorpe last weekend, 27-24 final score to keep them in the hunt for a home play-off game.
Unfortunately, both Hullensians and Hull Ionians cannot raise teams to face our 3rd and 4th XVs at Kelleythorpe and have notified us this afternoon that they have pulled out of the fixtures.
The Ladies look to return to winning ways as they welcome Birkenhead Park Ladies to Kelleythorpe on Sunday. When the ladies travelled to Birkenhead back in October it was a tight game, with Birkenhead just winning 27-19. With Birkenhead just five points above Driffield in the league, this looks a great match.
PLEASE NOTE : anyone travelling to Ilkley – Ilkley RUFC are a cashless club, they only accept card payments for everything.
Driffield RUFC 1st XV to face Ilkley RUFC 1st XV, Saturday 04/03/2023, KO 3PM
- Mckinnon
- Pettinger
- Thundercliffe
- Turner
- Gleeson
- Brankley, A
- Jenkinson (c)
- Johnson
- Sowersby, T
- Murray, Ry
- Scurry
- Sowersby, J
- Rix
- Brankley, T
- Watts
- Robson
- Young
- Robinson
Good Luck to all in Blue, Black & White.