KEIGHLEY’S pack may be getting the lion’s share of the plaudits as the team climbs the SSE Yorkshire Division Two table but their director of rugby Graeme Sheffield prefers to take an all-round view.

Their 20-10 home victory over Roundhegians was Keighley’s sixth win in seven matches and, despite being sixth, they are only a point behind fourth-placed Moortown.

Sheffield said: “We have the sixth best pack in the division – that is how I look at it – but the back row of Tom Lowther, Shaun Minikin and Josh Hannah are flourishing, while Leigh Sugden is still an animal now that he has moved into the second row.

“We know the impact that Craig Spencer and Will Armitage can make in the front row, while lock Matt Hagyard has improved over the last three years and prop Sam Booker can make an impact off the bench, having lost his place after going to a stag do.

“However, it is not all about the pack. We have a good centre partnership (Adam Horsfall and Danny McGee) and Rob Wilkinson, who is very talented but quiet and unassuming, or Alex Brown at fly half.”

Having said all that, Sheffield was frustrated with the performance against Roundhegians, saying: “Kevin Young (head coach) was very disappointed because we were physically much stronger than them but didn’t convert that into points.

“We seem to think that we don’t have to concentrate for 80 minutes but that is typical Keighley.”

On Saturday, Keighley are at next-to-bottom Sheffield Medicals, who, although they have only won five matches, beat Barnsley last time out 20-10 at Norton Playing Fields.

“We are confident that we can go there and win,” said Sheffield, “but Medics never stopped trying when we beat them 29-0 at our place in November.”

Medics were at Bradford Salem last Saturday and were trailing 12-3 after 31 minutes when referee Steve Richings had to be carried from the field with a twisted knee and the match was abandoned.

1st XV v SHEFFIELD MEDICALS (Yorkshire Two) AWAY KO 2:15pm, meet 11am (coach). A Brown; Ja Atkinson, D McGee, A Horsfall, L Carter; R Wilkinson, D Needham, C Spencer, W Armitage, D Smith, M Hagyard, L Sugden, T Lowther, S Minikin, J Hannah. Rep: A Ebbrell, D Iliff, S Booker.