Harrogate RUFC strengthen their back-line ahead of Chester RUFC trip

Harrogate RUFC have strengthened their back-line ahead of Saturday’s National Two North trip to Chester.
Harrogate RUFC director of rugby Dave Doherty. Picture: Caught Light Photography.Harrogate RUFC director of rugby Dave Doherty. Picture: Caught Light Photography.
Harrogate RUFC director of rugby Dave Doherty. Picture: Caught Light Photography.

The absence of Sam Fox, Harry Barnard, Marcus Mercer, Danny Matthews and Sam Parry in recent weeks - and for a big chunk of the season - has meant that Dave Doherty has been forced to field backs with very little experience of senior rugby on a regular basis.

But, the conclusion of the university Super Rugby season has enabled the Aces to bring in some reinforcements for their final nine games of the 2021/22 campaign.

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Leeds Beckett University fly-half Tom Steene starts at 10, Daniel Troup comes in at inside centre and Charlie Benjamin takes his place on the wing. Scrum-half Campbell Swanson is named among ‘Gate’s replacements.

“We should be stronger in the backs this week having managed to sign a few university boys before the deadline,” director of rugby Doherty explained.

“It will be nice to have that extra bit of experience out there because we’ve really been missing the likes of Foxy, Harry Barnard and Marcus Mercer.

“We’ve been able to give a number of our Colts and some young boys really valuable exposure to National Two rugby this season and that will stand them in good stead in the future.

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“Bringing our own young players through is what we are about as a club, however it is really asking a lot of teenagers with little or no experience of senior rugby to step up and be leaders week in, week out.

“It’s a really big ask, so I feel it will really benefit the team to have some of these new signings out there who are a little bit older, more developed physically and boast that cognitive ability to cope better in this division.”

Rock-bottom Harrogate head to 10th-placed Chester looking for a first win in seven attempts, but it is not just in the backs where they will be much stronger than they were during last weekend’s 27-10 defeat to top-of-the-table Hull.

“Jonny Coser is available again and will come in at flanker, while Brandon Hannam is back in the second row,” Doherty added.

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“Those two are massive players for us. We don’t have huge depth in our squad, so when boys like these are missing we certainly feel it.

“They’ll make a big difference up front for us and, while I respect the quality that Chester have in their forwards, I believe that we can go there and look to try and control that area.

“We know that a Chester are a very good side. Their number eight, their scrum-half and their left-winger are extremely talented players. It will be another really rough game, particularly because they are very effective on their 4G pitch.

“But it is a fixture we are looking forward to because they are a proper community club like us, with a second team and a junior section, not just a 1st XV full of professional players who could have their pick of most Championship-level teams. It should be a really good challenge.”

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