‘NEW’ FACES
HUDDERSFIELD YMCA are hunting a fourth successive home victory in North I East with the help of a couple of ‘new faces’ when they entertain Penrith on Saturday (3pm).
Both Simon Wilson and Josh Wrafter, who had pretty much gone into retirement, have agreed to return to help out the Laund Hill squad.
And they are in a squad of 19 for the seventh v sixth in the table clash, with YM eager to put their 23-15 defeat at Morpeth quickly on a back burner.
Director of rugby Damon Scholes explained: “The fact we are so disappointed by a narrow defeat at a place like Morpeth just shows the standards to which we now aspire.
“Penrith have got a big pack, so we know it’s going to be a battle, but we want to maintain our pack supremacy on home soil, where our results and performances have been good.”
YM will have to make a late decision on Jordan Andrade, who is taking part in rugby league trials for Bradford Bulls today and may not be able to play tomorrow.
“We are missing Sam Slater, Jack Ledgard and Ben Hill through injury, so it’s an opportunity for others to step up,” added Scholes.
“The lads have been playing well and in in good spirits, so we are looking for another positive performance and another positive result against the team who are just above us in the table.”
When YM travelled up the M6 back in October, they ended up on the wrong end of a 21-14 scoreline after what had been a turbulent start to the season, but they are playing much better at the moment.
Huddersfield YMCA (from): Scholes, Emsley, Dyke, Black, Housley, Tindall, Hodge, Lumb, Bradley, Morton, Wilson Andrade, Bulloch, Stead, Burns-Smith, Fletcher, Cotton, Perfitt, Wrafter.
YMCA still have two tables available for their Sporting Dinner with Shaun Edwards on February 17. Information from Damon Scholes on 07862 272025. TWO years operating in the NatWest 6 Nations has left Eddie Jones with little doubt over the greatest challenge presented by the tournament everyone is desperate to topple England.
Successive Championship crowns including a Grand Slam has made it a happy hunting ground for Jones in his two years in charge at Twickenham and another victory would deliver an unprecedented third successive title.
The silverware has been lifted in spite of the bullseye on English backs and Jones would not have it any other way.
“The hardest thing about the Six Nations is intensity of the rivalry and that everyone wants to beat England,” Jones said,
“We have to live with that expectation and embrace that expectation because we’ve got the most money and the most players. Everyone wants to beat us and that’s a great thing.
“In the Rugby Championship everyone wants to beat New Zealand and beat South Africa. They don’t necessarily want to beat Australia, it’s not the priority. But in the Six Nations you can feel that every team believes they can make their tournament a success if they beat England. It raises stakes for us and we’re up for it.
“You’ve got a high performing Ireland and Scotland and Wales have always been stron, and France have traditionally been a powerhouse of Six Nations rugby.”