Fylde RFC make final plans for Sedgley Park derby day

The sides stand third and fourth in National Two North with just two points separating them, both anxious to prevent runaway leaders Hull from disappearing out of sight.

If Fylde required any additional motivation to record a 10th straight home win this season, their Manchester visitors are among the four sides to have beaten them in the first half of the campaign, 37-22 in October.

It’s certainly a clash of two form teams, Fylde having won all six matches they have played over the past two months, while Sedgley Park have scored 80 points in their last two fixtures without conceding any.

“Sedgley Park are just below us with a couple of games in hand, and if we want to be at the top end of the table, this is a big one for us.

“This is one of our closest games geographically, if not the closest. The players know each other well and both teams like to play a decent style of rugby.

“The supporters know they should get a good game, so hopefully it’s a decent spectacle.”

Briers’ side are suitably battle-hardened after defying all manner of adversity last weekend to win 20-10 at Wharfedale: from preparing for the match in a dressing room without heat or light due to a power cut, to ending it with 13 players after red cards for Scott Rawlings and David Fairbrother.

“It’s always a tough place to go and obviously the cards didn’t help,” Briers added.

“At least it was an early kick-off but it was still a bit darker than normal in the dressing room.”

He also believes pure hard graft was key to Fylde’s success, saying: “Credit to the players for working so hard when the numbers were against us and we got the win we deserved.

“They just did the work, and when we were up against it and the pressure was on, they worked even harder for each other.”

Fylde will face Sedgley Park without Rawlings, who is suspended following his dismissal last weekend.

The RFU’s disciplinary panel met on Tuesday evening and Rawlings received a three-match suspension.

Fairbrother’s sending off on the day for two yellow cards was sufficient in itself, meaning he will be available for tomorrow.

Speaking before the verdicts, Briers explained: “Scott will be suspended. We’ve acted on it immediately and applied a suspension ourselves until the disciplinary hearing, when hopefully his good record will be taken into account.

“He was deemed to have made a high challenge, which isn’t like him.

“Fairy won’t be suspended. His red card was for two yellows and the second was a technical offence.”

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