Few teams in York performed as well as the men’s rugby 1st XV last term. The side collected 18 points from a possible 21 and propelled themselves to the top of the Northern 1A table thanks to a 13-6 victory over rivals Sheffield 1sts in December.
With a five-point gap at the summit, York will be looking to maintain their momentum tomorrow afternoon against Bishop Burton 1sts on 22 Acres. With six games remaining, this is the first of four home matches, something the team will be looking to capitalise on.
On paper, the match certainly appears winnable, but Bishop Burton remain the only side to inflict defeat on York back in October, and Captain Sam Lord is wary not to make the same mistakes again.
Lord told Vision: “Bishop Burton are the only team to have beaten us so far this season, but it was very early on last term and we have improved massively since then. Our challenge will be to match their physicality, keep as much possession as possible by dominating the set piece and then doing what we do best: attacking fast and skillfully.”
Lord also says that the Christmas break has provided a useful breather for his key players as the team look to kick on in the Spring Term: “The good thing about the holidays is that it gives a chance for injuries to heal. It also gives guys like Adam Gaskell, Will Sharp and Tristan Burd – who are really important players for us and who never miss a minute of training or games – to rest and recharge.
“Our preparations have been hindered to a certain extent by exams during this first week back, but our guys have reached such good standards in terms of their professionalism and general attitude that academic work won’t be a problem.”
The team are currently on a five-match winning streak in the league, scoring a total of 118 points and conceding just 63. Despite this impressive vein of form, Lord will be reminding his players that there is still plenty of work left: “We’re only halfway through the season and, whether we win or lose on Wednesday, nothing is even close to being decided with so many games to go in a league as tough as ours.”