York RUFC travelled to Scarborough for their first away fixture of the season hoping to continue their winning start after their opening win, last week against Heath. Scarborough were supposed to have recruited numerous overseas players during the close season. However most had not arrived when they lost last week away at Selby. York were therefore unsure of the strength of the team they were to face.

On a day that was ideal for open running rugby it would be York who would score first, a long Scarborough clearance kick was gathered by Tom Newitt on the York 22 who raced 75 yards beating numerous home defenders to score wide out after 2 minutes. The conversion was missed York lead 5-0. The lead quickly reduced when on 5 minutes Scarborough 13 Hogg converted a penalty from 45 yards. 5-3 York.
Scarborough would dominate the next 30 minutes - a period where York almost managed to play themselves out of the game. A combination of kicking away possession and poor tackling of Scarborough’s strong running centre Maloni Moata’ane (Loni Loni) and number 8 Isaac Faamau, lead to Scarborough scoring a further 14 unanswered points, through 2 converted try’s. On 33 minutes Scarborough lost Loni Loni to a yellow card for a high tackle on York centre Hessay. They would miss the influential centre as a period of York pressure brought play into the Scarborough half, a York penalty 35 metres out was kicked to the corner. The subsequent lineout won, a drive by the York pack in field and quick hands by the York backs allowing winger Dawes to score wide out. Conversion missed 17-10 Scabs half time.

Scarborough started the second half on the front foot when from the kick off, a York kick was charged down on the York 22. 4 minutes later (with Scarborough having been in the York 3rd for all of that time), York conceded a penalty. The sure boot of Hogg adding the 3 points 20-10 Scabs. Loni Loni was reintroduced, however it would be York who would score next in what would be their first of only 2 incursions into the home side’s 22 in the second half. A promising York back move had looked to have been ruined when possession was kicked away, however from the ruck that followed York were awarded a penalty which was kicked to the Scarborough 5 metre line. The throw was taken and driven over the try line with York 8 Josh Parker coming up from the bottom of the pile with the ball. Hessay added the conversion 20-17, after 51 minutes. York would again on several occasions pressure Scarborough but couldn’t get close enough, either through good defence or poor decision making, to really trouble the Scarborough line.
It was Scarborough who were again dominant and forced play back into the York half and on 30 minutes, desperate York defence lead to York skipper Fox being yellow carded. York would spend the rest of the game with 14 men. The normally sure foot of Hogg sent the penalty wide of the upright. Scarborough would remain in the ascendancy for the rest of the game and came out worthy winners 20 – 17. When their next imports finally do arrive, they could become serious title contenders.

York were a different team quite literally from last week with 10 positional and personnel changes, through injury and unavailability. It was a game that on another day York may have won but today they came up short against a strong, fast, hard running Scarborough team. Kicking away possession, at time poor tackling and poor handling, all contributing to this defeat. York will hopefully bounce back next week against a Selby side that are unbeaten.