NESTL Rowntree fixture secretary Dale Pollard is unlikely to find too many players at the club willing to buy him a drink as they watch the international today.

And Pollard's sin... to have arranged a game against a team containing two current internationals.

This sort of task would offer a stiff challenge to the likes of Harrogate and Otley, but for Nestl, who just play friendly fixtures, it was a bridge too far.

Admittedly, Pollard can argue he is not really to blame - as he had arranged for the fixture to be against Hull Ionians Buccaneers.

How was he to know that the side, would be beefed up by Tongan internationals Vili Vaki and Tevita Fifita.

Winger Ashley Walters, who experienced the mismatch first hand, said: "I was drinking with our fixture secretary on Friday night and we joked about the fact Ionians could bring a stronger side, but he assured us it would be the Buccaneers."

Unfortunately it was not,as Ionians brought a stronger than expected side as they looked to send off international flanker Vaki, who was playing his last game for the Brantingham Park club before joining top Italian side Parma, in style.

And Vaki did not disappoint as he dominated the match, scoring a hatful of tries in the 74-5 victory and generally terrorising the Nestl squad.

"The number seven (Vaki) had an outstanding game, he was something else," said Walters. "Ionians had to release him from the first team so he could sign for Parma, but the Buccaneers snapped him up to play for them before he left.

"Then they bought on a guy who had played for Bradford Bulls Rugby League the week before.

"They were head and shoulders better than us.

"I was on the wing, but we all got a real battering. We went through all our subs as people kept coming off with injuries."

'Trees actually suffered their first injury in the first tackle of the game when centre Harry Seagrave went off with a split head - despite wearing a scrum cap - after attempting to halt Vaki (who else!).

Undeterred, Nestl went on to score the opening try of the game when scrum-half Brian Cottam sniped over.

However, this only woke up the Ioninas side, who struck back with 74 unanswered points.

"I think we made the mistake of scoring first as this only seemed to wind them up," said Brian Matthewman, who escaped the carnage as the touch judge. "I wouldn't have minded off getting on, but it is probably best that I didn't. I was too busy ushering people on and off the pitch."

Nestl were due to play Ionians away earlier in the season, only for a fixture mix-up to see Hessle turn up for the game as well.

"A few of our lads played for Hessle in that game against Ionians," added Matthewmen. "They did not seem to be that good a side, so we were all thinking that we would beat them at our place.

"But when they turned up and they were a completely different team, we realised it could be a bit harder."

This is the second time Ionians have included Tongans in their line-up for matches in this area - with Pocklington suffering a 73-7 defeat at the hands of Vaki and his fellow countryman Fifita back in November 2001.

To 'Trees' credit, they never gave up the fight and at times they matched the visitors in the forwards. New hooker Simon Fry impressed on his debut, while the pack were held up over the line on three occasions.

But the injuries and talents of Vaki took their toll in the end.

The loss of players was such that Pollard has been forced to cancel today's scheduled fixture against Old Leos.

Updated: 11:10 Saturday, March 02, 2002