Yatton vs Bristol Harlequins

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Yatton Scorers - M Harris 2, Hull, Spellissy, Keating 2, Garnham, Jones 3. Cons Keating 6

Table Toppers Yatton drain colour out of Harlequins

At the beginning of the season Bristol Harlequins on their home leg beat Yatton 27-9 but now near mid-table and on the league leaders home pitch it was a totally different story. With little real change in the Yatton line up the new look Harlequins, who had been happy with their rebuilding progress during the last few months, were emphatically put to the sword and their colour physically paled during the first quarter.

Yatton’s pace and all round team skills have increased beyond measure throughout the season.

Fifty points, including eight tries, were scored by Yatton within the first half from centre Mike Harris’s pirouette out of a tackle to touchdown between the posts after three minutes through to wing Glen Jones finishing off the break by full-back William Rhys Davies on the 40 minute mark.

With a strong unpredictable wind against them in the second half Yatton were slowed as gutsy Harlequins kept the game going right until the end.

Veteran fly-half Dave Keating grabbed a try on fifty minutes, together with all the conversions, while Jones claimed his hat-trick ten minutes before time.

As previously reported league leaders Yatton’s facilities have helped to keep them abreast of their league fixtures and together with consistent wins this year, all the other clubs have been forced into a situation of ‘catch me if you can for league points’ to reach Yatton’s position.

Last Saturday second placed Barton Hill slipped in this ‘catch up rugby’ when playing away against Gloucesterside Berry Hill. They lost 34-18, they still stay in second place but have lost valuable points.

The situation now is that for automatic promotion out of the Western Counties North division mathematically two sides can equal Yattons present league points and in addition two sides who are Barton Hill and Gordon League, the ‘dark horse’ of the division, could pip Yatton to the top spot by one or two points.

So Yatton with two games remaining must at least win one and one win must be over Barton Hill if they do not want to run the risk of sharing the top spot with the current number two team. Yatton at home play Barton Hill on Saturday 31^st March – no pressure there then! What a game that will be.