Coach's Corner: Week off is a blessing in disguise

We have no game this Saturday due to our re-arranged game with Bradford Salem being postponed.
Coach's Corner with SRUFC's Lee DouglasCoach's Corner with SRUFC's Lee Douglas
Coach's Corner with SRUFC's Lee Douglas

The West Yorkshire side are in cup action and the league game has now been rescheduled for April, so we have a blank weekend.

This is a blessing in disguise considering the injury problems that we have been experiencing in recent weeks.

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The time off will help us get a few of the lads back in first-team contention for the home game against Bradford & Bingley on Saturday February 13.

We were without several players yet again on Saturday at Old Brodleians, we had to name new centres and a new second row from the previous week’s game.

The replacements from the game at Yarnbury also had to step into the starting line-up and we had to bring in Chris Mabbott on the subs bench.

Although I was not able to be at the match, I was told that from one to 18 all the lads did their bit.

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The reports said that we did very well considering the very tough conditions at Old Brods.

The home side had their chances but when the opportunities came our way we took them and claimed the points.

Bradford & Bingley look like they have bought their way to the league title, but if we had been able to put our strongest side out on a regular basis then we could have been challenging for that second promotion place, along with second-placed side Malton & Norton and Bridlington.

We have not been at our physical best when we have taken on the likes of Malton and Brid.

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The positives of having to change the team so often is that the younger players and those pushing from the Vikings have all done very well when they have been in first-team action.

But unfortunately a few of the younger lads will be heading off to university after the summer break so we will lose them.

It is very frustrating to not be able to put out your best XV on the pitch, but we just have to try and build on the Old Brodleians win when we return to action against the league leaders and build on our fifth place in the Yorkshire One table.

I think we will have to look at recruiting again over the summer and then we can set our sights on a challenge for promotion in the 2016/17 season.