Fylde RFC camp looks to revive the N2N title race
Fylde RFC could spark life into the National Two North title race by toppling Leeds Tykes across the Pennines on Saturday (2.30pm).
Buoyed by last weekend’s 35-13 home win over Hull, Fylde have tended to test the Tykes in recent games; losing by five points in November and defeating them at the Woodlands last season.
A second defeat of the season for Leeds this weekend would most probably see their nine-point lead cut, setting up a frantic finale with three rounds of fixtures left to play.
Team boss Chris Briers says Fylde are ready to give a good account of themselves in West Yorkshire.
The joint-head coach told The Gazette: “We do feel we can have a go when we play them.
“We gave a really strong performance at home last season and were unfortunate not to win this season too.
“You look at the table and the top three look miles apart from the rest, but a lot of their games have been close.
“They haven’t been battering teams but we know we’ll have to perform well against Leeds and hopefully we can put a performance in.”
Fylde will travel with confidence after victory over Hull, a game they were well on their way to winning at half-time with a 28-8 lead.
Briers added: “It was a good performance on Saturday, particularly in the first half. We had some good passages of play and scored some good tries.
“It was pretty convincing and we felt in control. The second half was tighter and the game became scrappier but I never felt we’d let it slip.”
However, injuries to Ben Gould and Mike Walton will need to be assessed.
The ankle injury marred a good day for scrum-half Gould, who celebrated his recall with a try.
Briers said: “There’s good competition in a few different areas, including the back five in the scrum.
“It’s very competitive for the scrum-half position and each new number nine has taken his opportunity.
“It’s a case of doing your best to keep the shirt for a run of games.”
After this weekend’s game, Fylde can look forward to a weekend off after 10 straight Saturday fixtures in 2025.
“I think, at the back end of the season, you’re ready for a break,” said Briers.
“A long run of games doesn’t have the same impact earlier in the season but, at this stage, you have a lot of battered bodies, so it’s nice to freshen up.”