Roses: rugby union preview

Men’s 1sts Rugby Union by captain James Faktor

This season the UYRUFC 1st XV has generally performed very well. A great early start to the season saw us competing for promotion which was the goal we set ourselves, however, tough games against Sheffiled University and Sheffield Hallam saw us fall short of this overall, finishing 3rd in the table. Throughout the season our resilience in defence has been our strongest aspect; no team has beaten us by more than 7 points this season. Although suprisingly that team were the bottom finishers and Roses rivals Lancaster where we never really got going, which makes the game on May 5th all the more exciting as we’ll be looking to set the record straight. What needs to be rectified in order to gain promotion next season is our inability to close out games when we’ve been in front due to a lack of concentration and sometimes losing a little composure. However, some of the performances we’ve put in recently against the best sides in the league with a few injuries has demonstrated a real depth of quality in the squad, which is a positive that should give us that composure for next season.

Last Roses saw us run out winners at 30-8, but we all knew that the final score line didn’t reflect just how close much of the game was. Last time we were in Lancaster, UYRUFC only won by 19-17, so going away from home is always going to be tougher. What won us the game last year was our fitness levels; the last 15 minutes saw us blow away a tiring Lancaster side, and our training regime is always based around improving our fitness intensity. What Lancaster do better than most teams we play against is shift the point of attack in midfield with good handling skills, which is harder to organise defensively compared to a larger team that likes to crash it up the middle. If we can push up hard at the right times and keep our defensive patterns going to contain this, then we should be confident of executing our set piece moves and recycling enough ball to give our dangerous backs a platform to score out wide.

Predicted score: UYRUFC win 20-14.

Player to watch: Matt Pollen. Features at the centre of everything our backs do and has the ability to make something happen out of nothing. Seen plenty of Roses action, too.

Men’s 2nds by captain Stephen Bryan

The 2nds this year have had a great season despite the table not reflecting our performances. It took until spring term for us to start playing our best but once we did we put together a string of great results, which included transforming a 60 point loss against Newcastle 2nds into a home win in spring term.

Roses was a great spectacle in 2011 and I expect it to be nothing less this year. Lancaster 2nds are unbeaten this season and we will have to be at our best to repeat last years result and beat them at home. Our objective, as always, is a whitewash for UYRFUC at Roses and as a result the intensity of our training is in line with that objective.

Hopefully the weather will be great, and the conditions will suit a flowing game of rugby for all to enjoy.

I would prefer not to predict a score but I am fully confident we have the ability and discipline to beat them yet again.

A player worth keeping an eye out for is outside centre Hugo Watson however due to the competitiveness of the selection process I cannot say which team he will be representing.

Men’s 3rds by Richard Draper

UYRUFC’s 3rd XV have enjoyed a successful season, finishing mid-table in what has been a very competitive league. Having put ourselves under pressure by losing several important fixtures, the team rallied well going into the closing matches of the season. Despite going into these games with a depleted team, through injury and call-ups, the 3rds won when it mattered. We recorded crucial victories against Northumbria 4ths and Bradford University 1sts. It is this attitude that should see us defeat Lancaster. Now back to a full contingent of players, we will be looking to mimic the result of the last two Roses where on both occasions UYRUFC has produced a complete white wash.
Up front, our key players will be Ayo Fatuga, a late signing for UYRUFC, who brings a huge amount of power to the front row, and flanker, Santiago Parilli, who is an unrivalled defensive presence. In the backs, playmaker Ed Harris will be one to watch as well as the potent centre-combination of Matt Darroch and Alex Summers.

Women’s 1st XV

This is undoubtedly UYWRUFC’s most successful year after winning the BUCS league as undefeated champions, something which hasn’t been accomplished for at least 6 years. However we aren’t finished yet; Roses is just as important to us and we intend on returning to York with both the 7s and the 15s cups. Despite great performances from both York and Lancaster in our leagues this year, we think York has the ability and determination to succeed and we look forward to a competitive and intense game.

Last year due to unexpected injuries and players playing out of position, UYWRUFC lost both the 7s and 15s games. This year the team looks stronger, players have been training hard and are confident off the back of the team’s league performances. We have picked up some great new players and older players are much more experienced. We are fully aware that Lancaster will be tough competitors but with our strong team spirit and willingness to succeed we hope to bring Roses victory to York.

Pinpointing players to watch is difficult as there have been some great team performances this year, our success isn’t down to individuals but to the ability of the whole team. Our forward pack has excelled in its set pieces particularly lineouts which have been challenging for opponents all season. Our backline has been threatening throughout with spontaneity and improvisation being the key. Spectators should look forward to a great team performance which should lead to plenty of tries!

The team has been overwhelmed by the support we have received this season and we would love for this to continue over Roses weekend.