THERE are “lies, damned lies and statistics” according to Mark Twain, but Wharfedale’s director of rugby James Doherty says that there are no denying the figures concerning their first two matches this season.

The Greens followed up their 20-12 home defeat by Preston Grasshoppers with a 39-27 setback at derby rivals Otley last Saturday to be bottom of the table with no points.

Doherty said: “We made 23 handling errors against Otley, conceded ten penalties at scrums and missed 20 tackles, while if you add in the Preston game we have given away 34 penalties, made 40 handling errors and missed 30-odd tackles, and you aren’t going to win matches with statistics like those.”

The Greens’ boss cut a disconsolate figure after the match at Cross Green, sitting on the halfway line with his knees drawn up to his chest.

Having composed himself, he walked pitch side and said: “I am bitterly disappointed to be second best in a Yorkshire derby.

“Our set-piece was not good, and sides know where our weakness is.”

However, having seen the video several times, he later said: “It was not as bad as I first feared.The three tries we scored were all excellent, with accurate offloads.

“There are three things you need when you are offloading – have control of the ball, have eye contact and have accurate communication – and we had all those three.

“We were outstanding on the whole for the first 25 to 30 minutes, with Jamie Guy proving excellent after switching from 12 to 10 to replace the injured Tom Barrett.

“We haven’t underestimated the division in any way, recruitments are on the way, and we still believe that we are playing the right way in the way that the players want.

“We need to either offload before the contact or beyond the contact, and it is frustrating because we are doing it well in training.

“We just need to do it better and for longer in matches, but after we started to concede points we went to one-man rugby, which is something that we never do in training.”

Wharfedale host Hinckley on Saturday, and have made six changes. The injury to Barrett sees Guy start at stand off alongside young scrum half Will Lawn. Harry Bullough comes in at centre with Josh Prell replacing Oli Cicognini on the wing.

Hooker Jordan Poole starts with Dan Stockdale on the bench, while Elliot Ward replaces Hedgley in the second row.

Wharfedale: Scott Jordan, Josh Prell, Andrew Hodgson, Harry Bullough, Robbie Davidson, Jamie Guy, Will Lawn, Jamie Huck, Jordan Poole, Michael Bradshaw, Elliot Ward, Alastair Allen, Rob Baldwin (capt), Lewis Wilson, Josh Burridge. Replacements: Ian Larkin, Dan Stockdale, Anthony Oxley, Ralph Wellock