9:56am Thursday 26th August 2010
Skipton took part in the four-team Fylde tournament as they continued their pre-season preparations.
They found themselves competing against the hosts, East Grinstead (champions of London 3SE and now playing at level seven) and Leigh (playing in North One West at level six).
The format was for each club to play each other in games of 20 minutes each way.
Skipton started the afternoon playing against East Grinstead, and a tight and exciting game saw Skipton lose 7-5 against a much larger team.
The second game was against the hosts on the main pitch in front of a large crowd, including new Fylde signings – rugby legend Jason Robinson and the former England coach Brian Ashton.
The game started as the home crowd expected, with Fylde winning the ball and taking the attack towards the Skipton line, helped by their much heavier and more experienced scrum.
The attacks continued, but the Skipton players raised their game and put their bodies on the line – literally in the case of winger Rob Davy who just got his body below the ball as Fylde got over the line looking for a try.
However the pressure remained and eventually this was translated into two tries for the Fylde team, but these were not converted so Skipton went behind 10-0 to the powerful home team.
Heads could have dropped, but Skipton are made of sterner stuff this year under new captain Matt Speres.
Every man raised their game and gave everything for the team, and managed to start competing on level terms.
The forwards won possession, and the backs threw the ball around with some lovely long passes and loops which gave them the room for Naylor to race across the Fylde line for the first try.
Naylor also converted to reduce the home side’s lead to 10-7.
This new confidence and self-belief continued, and Skipton worked their way back into the Fylde half and shocked the home crowd by scoring another try, converted again which saw them leading 14-10.
Skipton had to withstand some intensive attacks from a Fylde team determined to regain the lead and win the game.
The final game was against Leigh, two leagues above Skipton and who had just convincingly beaten East Grinstead 21-5 in their second game.
However Skipton had their heads up, and put on a wonderful display of attacking and exciting rugby to score four superb tries and win the game by an emphatic 22-5.
With Fylde having beaten East Grinstead 45-0, this result saw Fylde win their own tournament, with Skipton narrowly in second place.
This was a fantastic achievement for the Skipton team, and holds great promise for the new season.
The backs showed great flair, putting into effect some of the moves that they have been practising in their training sessions, and the tries followed.
The forwards were outstanding, particularly against the big heavy Fylde scrum, where they still got the ball back to allow Patrick Murray to make his raking runs, even though the scrum was being pushed back.
Skipton welcome the RAF Eagles to Sandylands tonight and then travel down the valley to Keighley on Sunday with both the 1st and 2nd XVs to take part in the Frank Whitcombe Memorial Day.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.cravenherald.co.uk/trade_directory/