Yorkshire Cup quarter-final: Morley 0 Wharfedale 104

SKILFUL Wharfedale Foresters trounced a young Morley Seconds, running in 16 tries to book a semi-final at Cleckheaton on Wednesday, April 15 (7.00).

But one of the talking points afterwards was where in the Northern structure would the Foresters be inserted if they ever got the chance to play league rugby against first teams?

The Maroons second-team coach John Firth said: "North One East (where Ilkley, Bradford & Bingley and Old Crossleyans are playing this season)", while Greens legend Andy Hodgson was a little more conservative, adding: "Maybe Yorkshire One or Yorkshire Two but we would want the games to be competitive."

Although Wharfedale coach Jon Feeley admitted that his club had looked at this possibility, at the moment the league structure in the north does not allow second teams to face first teams without the second teams acting as a separate entity from their first team.

The Foresters will therefore have to content themselves with playing in the Yorkshire Cup and leading the way in the Yorkshire Merit Table.

Morley, whose first team had a rearranged National League Three North match at Rossendale, which they lost 27-23 to seal their relegation to North One East, did debate beforehand about even playing this quarter-final.

However, with the club in transition – seven of the second-team squad were in last season's colts team – they deserve praise for doing so, and never stopped trying, despite shipping so many points.

Although Morley missed two kicks at goal, had prop Kyle Scott held up over the line and were on the right end of a 9-0 penalty count in the second half, the gulf in class soon became obvious.

The Foresters, who included Josh Prell, Chris Steel and Jim Mason of their first-team squad who played at Richmond the weekend before, notched tries by Simon Crabtree (4), Simon Borrill (3), Prell (3), Hodgson, Ben Booth, skipper Tom Whyte, Jake Starkey and James Druce (2, including his 100th for the club), who added 12 conversions.