NATIONAL DIVISION 1

Otley

Rugby Lions

For the supporters who stayed at home (wisely) the scoreline says it all.

With no disrespect (only envy) intended towards Otley, this is a supporters web site and Saturdays games is from our point of view not worthy of a detailed report. For the record Lions only points were scored by Steve Smith (short of the line to boot!). Simon Binns tormented the Lions yet again, while Otley's rolling maul made ground time and time again. The Lions were a poor second in almost every department. For the Lions Tristan Prosser-Shaw can hold his head up high, tireless all afternoon as were Stuart Potter & Steve Smith. Baker and Reed saw little of the ball but made ground when given the opportunity.

Andrew's musing

Having watched the Lions home and away for many years, I can never remember such a low feeling amongst the supporters. The team, our team....we just don't know them anymore. New players week in week out, some for only a game or two. Who's a Lion? Who's on loan? Who will be here next week? Rugby is the ultimate team game and the simple fact is we are not a team.

Yes there is talent there, lots.....but something is wrong, very wrong. It must be, why else would we be losing each week to teams (with a few exceptions) with no more talent? and probably costing a lot less. Much was made of becoming professional and training 5 days a week, yet we still lose by 36 points to a part time side. Money well spent?

What ever is going on at the club it just isn't working!

Relegation must now be faced up to, and plans put in place for next season....NOW.

Tristan Prosser-Shaw

Match Preview

Lions team

To be selected from

When Rugby visited Otley last season on a pleasant April day, they were desperate for a win in order to ensure their survival in National Division 1. Right now it would be hard to find a situation where the truism, “you don’t know when you’re well off” was more apt. Even a 5-156 win (it is possible because Newcastle Falcons did it to Lions in their previous worst season) would not be good enough this time, although it would certainly frighten a few teams before they decided it was a clerical error.

Otley will be short of match practice next Saturday, as with the postponement of their game against Rotherham at Millmoor last Sunday, they will not, friendlys apart, have played since the 14^th December. So far this season Otley have won just four games, three of them at home (Manchester, Orrell and London Welsh) and one (Rugby) away. Home games were lost to Birmingham, Plymouth, Rotherham and Worcester and away games were lost at Bedford, Coventry, Exeter, Moseley and Wakefield. This pattern of home success and away failure is a constant reminder of Otley’s gritty defence of the Cross Green turf.  Two results, an away loss to Moseley and a home win against Orrell, serve to emphasize this perverse characteristic. 

Rugby’s continued slow progress was not so apparent in the game against Orrell. Two bonus points for the Lions would have reassured the supporters that all was not yet lost, but the disallowing of James Baker’s seemingly good first half try, meant that, apart from some notable good personal performances, there was no after-match cheer around. With the weather having gone into winter mode there will be some uncertainty with the Otley game going ahead, but if it does we can only hope that the team will play as well as they did last April when Eddie got his 100th try.

Take the M1 northbound towards Leeds and North.

At M1 J43, turn onto M621.

At M621/J2 bear left onto A653 after approx. 500 yards.

After about 1 mile, bear right onto A61.

Turn left onto A58(M).

Leave the A58(M) and bear right onto A660 signposted Skipton.

Follow the A660 out of Leeds, after about 9 miles you'll be approaching Otley.

Follow the signs for the town centre.

Turn right following the signs for A659 out of town, the ground on left hand side of Pool Road, ½ mile from Otley town centre.