Good performances make selection difficult for Greens’ big clash

2:35pm Thursday 14th February 2008

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Wharfedale coach Peter Hartley found selection very difficult for this Saturday's match when Cornwall side Redruth make the long journey to The Avenue.

Hartley's men played their hearts out last week at Stourbridge only to come up on the short end of the stick losing 29-26 to a team that are in second place in the National League Two table.

"We got one point out of what was arguably our best performance of the season. That probably masked the defeat. If we would have played worse and lost we would have been more upset. We couldn't have done much more to win.

"Stourbridge closed the game out well. They put us under pressure and played to their ultimate strength."

However, Hartley had nothing but praise for his players saying: "Everybody played really well last week that it made selection very hard this week."

Hartley said that Wharfedale's game at Redruth earlier this season was quite similar to last weekend's game at Stourbridge.

"Redruth is a very formidable place to go but we played very well there and lost. We were disappointed at the result but not at the performance."

One of the keys to this weekend's game will be how well the Greens can shackle Redruth's influential No 8, Mark Roy Bright.

Bright, a New Zealander, scored 21 tries in 21 games for the Cornish side last season.

Hartley said: "He's one of the best players in the league."

Centre Chris Malherbe looks like he will be fit for this important match against Redruth. Winger Dan Hart, who left the pitch with a dislocated shoulder during the nail-biter at Stourbridge, was a last-minute casualty at Wednesday night's training when the team physio recommended him not to play on Saturday.

Therefore Neil Baggett, who played well off the bench last week, will replace the young Yorkshire U-20s captain.

Mark Bedworth, having made an impressive return last Saturday for the Foresters after a three-month lay-off, will be on the bench.

Wharfedale: Adam Whaites; Neil Baggett, Chris Malherbe, Andy Baggett (c), Simon Horsfall; Luke Gray, James Doherty; Tom Horner, Gavin Hindle, Chris Steel, David Lister, Anthony Capstick, Dave Muckalt, Alastair Allen, Rob Baldwin. Repls: Adam Mason, Peter Altham, Oliver Renton, Mark Bedworth.

Wharfedale's spectators will get the chance to watch last Saturday's exciting match at Stourbridge at the club before the Redruth game.

It will be shown on the big screen in the downstairs bar, kick-off at 1pm.

"It's something we've been talking about doing for quite a while," said Hartley. "We have the equipment to do it now with big screens both upstairs and downstairs in the clubhouse.

"The Stourbridge match was a game worth watching from a rugby point of view. It's an opportunity for spectators who didn't travel to see us play. Quite a few people already turn up early at our home games just to chew the fat. This will give them the opportunity to cast their eye over last week's performance."

It is hoped that the screening of away games will become a regular feature in the future.