Yorkshire Cup warm-up for Malton & Norton RUFC (From York Press)

Yorkshire Cup warm-up for Malton & Norton RUFC

10:38am Friday 24th August 2012 in Rugby Union

Malton & NORTON RUFC are keeping faith with their current crop as they prepare for their season in North One East.

The Gannock outfit warm up for their trip to Morpeth in a week’s time by hosting Old Crossleyans in the first round of the Yorkshire Cup tomorrow (3pm).

With a second round tie at National League powerhouses Wharfedale or Otley awaiting the victors, Malton chiefs are planning to use the tie as a chance to give players game time ahead of the start of the league campaign.

Bill Laidler, club spokesman, said: “I think we will both be taking this game as a warm up for the league. This game will give us a hard work out before the start of the new season at Morpeth.

“There will be some chopping and changing. In general, we are keeping faith with the players we have.

“We are in a reasonable position and we have one or two others from the age groups coming through. Last season we finished fourth, which was a good position for us and, if we can aim for the same, you never know what might happen after that.

“We wouldn’t want to be any worse.”

Pocklington open the new season at Percy Road with a bang tomorrow – an East Yorkshire home double-header for the first XV and Panthers.

The main billing is a derby between Pocklington and Driffield that kicks off at 3.30pm.

The sides had two keen tussles in the league last season with Driffield’s 23-7 home win in October 2011 being the prelude to Pocklington winning their next 18 league games, including a 37-23 revenge victory over Driffield at Percy Road, to lift the Yorkshire One championship in style.

Tomorrow’s clash will be both sides’ last run-out before their league campaigns get under way the following weekend.

There will be a few new faces on show.

Half-back Josh Britland has rejoined Pock from Hull FC’s academy, Yorkshire under-20 back row Richard Skowronek is included in the pack, and Mike Davies fills in at scrum-half.

Yorkshire RFU president Steve Watson will be at Percy Road tomorrow to present the Yorkshire One championship shield before the match.

The first XV game is preceded by Pocklington Panthers against Hornsea (2pm).

Hornsea, reigning Yorkshire Five champions, will be a good test for the Panthers and new skipper Andrew Wilson.

Selby , last season’s beaten finalists, start their Yorkshire Shield campaign with a first-round trip to Scarborough tomorrow (3pm).

The Swans were beaten 16-12 by Bridlington in the final earlier this year.