Scarborough face uphill task at runaway leaders Bradford

Scarborough RUFC travel west on Saturday to take on league-leaders Bradford and Bingley, looking for their first win on the road this season.
Scarborough RUFC face a tricky trip to Yorkshire One leaders Bradford & Bingley on Saturday. The last time the pair met Scarborough were thumped 116-3.Scarborough RUFC face a tricky trip to Yorkshire One leaders Bradford & Bingley on Saturday. The last time the pair met Scarborough were thumped 116-3.
Scarborough RUFC face a tricky trip to Yorkshire One leaders Bradford & Bingley on Saturday. The last time the pair met Scarborough were thumped 116-3.

It won’t be an easy task as the Bees currently lead Yorkshire One with a 100% unbeaten record.

Last week they were on the road and came away with a comfortable 59-25 win at Yarnbury, their sixth bonus-point win of the season.

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Following last week’s remarkable comeback to draw 31-31 with visitors Old Brodleians, injuries have once again resulted in more disruption to coach Lee Douglas’ plans.

Influential tight-head prop Paul Taylor is injured and as last week Hayden Ogilvie, Ian Williams and Wesley Langkilde start in the front row, Mikey Readman and Phil Watson are in the engine room and Ben Martin, who had another cracker last week, joins fellow teenagers Drew Govier and James Leech in the back row.

The three-quarters are completely re-shuffled with Graeme Jeffrey at full-back, Matty Young and skipper Tom Ratcliffe on the wings and Paul White and Anthony Coffey in the centres.

Alessandro Zavatti, Matty Oxtoby and youngster Toby Welsby, who made a promising debut from the bench last week, are named as substitutes.

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Bradford and Bingley have suffered consecutive relegations from National Three then North One, but have in general played further up the food chain than Scarborough.

The last meeting between the Seasiders and the Bees took place back in October 2002 in North Two East when I watched Scarborough slide to the club’s record defeat as they were blown away 116-3 at Wagon Lane.

In mitigation, the Tongan International Sevens side from the previous summer’s Commonwealth games in Manchester, who had trained at the club during the games, stayed on to play for the Bees that season.

The Vikings entertain Hull-based side Marist RFC on Saturday, the Silver Royd second string is boosted by the inclusion of Mark Hopper, Joe Lenton, Martin Robinson and Andy Rossol, who have all seen first team action this season.

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Marist RUFC were founded in 1959 and have evolved from the Marist College Hull Old Boys side.

At one stage they played in Yorkshire Two and therefore have met Scarborough in league fixtures many times.

However, I believe they have now dropped out of the league system and probably only field one side.

Kick-off at Silver Royd and Wagon Lane is 3pm.