Triffitt injury mars Selby RUFC’s Senior Vase win (From York Press)

Triffitt injury mars Selby RUFC’s Senior Vase win over Trafford MV

10:33am Monday 18th March 2013 in Rugby Union

SELBY RUFC’s superb 52-5 victory over Trafford MV in the quarter-finals of the RFU Senior Vase was overshadowed by a serious injury to second-rower Rob Triffitt.

Triffitt was taken to York Hospital with facial injuries and concussion after being repeatedly punched at the bottom of a ruck by Trafford number eight Mark Hodgson.

Hodgson was red-carded and the Sandhill Lane game was held up for 36 minutes by the incident, which Swans officials said left a “sour taste” and “ruined any Selby celebration”.

Selby are now only one match away from a Twickenham final and their last four tie will be at Stourbridge Lions on Saturday, March 30.

Having withstood early MV pressure, the home side took the lead on six minutes when full-back Dan Porter and winger Ben Lunt turned defence into attack.

After swapping passes down the line, Porter crossed for his 26th try of the season. Porter then kicked a penalty after 14 minutes when MV were caught offside.

Despite a yellow card for Jacob Robinson for a technical offence, Selby were gaining the ascendancy although they were stalled by penalty misses from Porter and Josh Cruise in the 24th and 33rd minutes.

With Robinson back on, Selby went further ahead when young winger Charlton McCoy made a stunning break before offloading to centre Alex Webster, who unleashed Porter to sprint over from 40 metres.

In added on time, MV prop Dan Sheehan was yellow-carded and Cruise kicked the penalty for a 16-0 lead.

A bumper crowd had to wait only two minutes into the second half for Selby to increase the lead as the forwards took a five-metre scrum against the head and number eight Martin Protheroe crashed over.

On 49 minutes, MV collapsed a scrum on their own line and the referee gave a penalty try which Porter converted. The game turned ugly with Hodgson’s red-card incident on 56 minutes.

When play restarted, MV were quickly down to 13 men after a yellow card for a technical offence.

Selby took a scrum from the penalty and replacement number eight Ben Booth claimed the pushover try.

Then a sparkling break by replacement forward Brendan Lanaghan put Webster in for a try and Porter converted. Selby’s Sam Weller was sent to the sin-bin for an over-enthusiastic tackle and MV pressure told with a try by fly-half Patrick Eccles.

Selby had the last word with further tries from replacement fly-half Iain Adamson and McCoy. Porter converted Adamson’s try for a 52-5 win.

York came from behind to win 36-22 at home to Driffield in the quarter-finals of the Corporate Leisurewear Yorkshire Shield.

The Clifton Parkers trailed 15-12 at the break and conceded a converted try just after the interval, but fought back to defeat the Yorkshire One leaders and book a semi-final spot.

Meanwhile, basement side York RI suffered their 20th defeat in 21 games as they crashed 61-0 at Aireborough in Yorkshire Three.