YORK Rugby Club are closing in on a record start to a season, after last weekend’s emphatic 98-7 RFU Intermediate Cup win over Newcastle Medicals took them to seven wins on the trot.

Having amassed an enormous 382 points, the team is averaging just under 55 per game, and should this form continue, they will smash the club season points record.

It was 35 years ago the last time the club started a season this well, winning nine in a row before falling to a 13-9 defeat at Old Brodleians.

Head coach Lee Denham has eyes on the ambitious target of winning the next five in a row, which would bring the club within one victory of beating the post-war record for consecutive wins, set by the team of 1984/85 who were stopped in their tracks at Doncaster after 12 victories.

Tomorrow, the team travel to sixth-placed Hullensians - the only team that York did not beat last season.

The hosts have also enjoyed a good start to the campaign, winning four of their six league fixtures, their losses coming against high-flying pair Old Brodleians and Heath.

Hullensians did not play last week, receiving a bye in the Yorkshire Shield first round.

York will make a number of changes following last week’s cup fixture.

Ross White and Chris Peace return to the starting line-up, Joe Maud comes in at number eight for Shane Goulding and two under-19s Tom Williams and Lewi Jackson will come onto the bench after impressing against Medicals.

Simon Webster is unavailable and veteran Sam Potrykus – whose 121 appearances is York’s third-highest – has dropped to the second XV.

Pocklington return to league action at home to old rivals Ilkley, who enjoyed a thumping 51-19 Yorkshire Cup first round win over Cleckheaton last weekend.

In recent seasons, the teams have been playing league leapfrog – Pock pipped Ilkley to the Yorkshire One title in 2012, then Ilkley followed them up to North One East as Yorkshire One champions in 2014. The West Yorkshire side were promoted in 2016, winning North One East, and Pocklington followed 12 months later.

Ilkley are six places and 14 points better off than Pocklington in Yorkshire One, winning four of their six games.

Their most recent league fixture ended in defeat to 11th-placed Sandal.

Pocklington are hopeful that the week’s break will boost their resources, with Ben Rees and Tom Peters making good progress in the physio room.

Malton & Norton are back in North One East action after claiming a 52-19 victory over Hull Ionians in the Yorkshire Cup first round.

They welcome top side Penrith, who have won six out of six in the league.

Malt, meanwhile, are 11th, winning two out of six, but have managed to claim a try bonus point in both of their wins.

Selby, still without a win in Yorkshire One, welcome fifth-placed Beverley.

Neither team played last week in the Yorkshire Shield, with Selby receiving a home walkover against Guisborough, and Beverley, a bye.

Beverley have only lost one away fixture this campaign, a 35-34 loss at York.

York RI are at home to Sheffield Oaks in Yorkshire Four in a bottom-of-the-table clash – seventh-placed Sheffield have won none of their three fixtures, while RI sit one place above without a win since the opening game of the season.

Neither team played in the Yorkshire Vase last week, RI having been knocked out by Halifax in the first round, and Sheffield receiving a walkover against Rossington Hornets.