WHILE Bradford & Bingley conceded their Yorkshire Cup tie at Ilkley last weekend, Cleckheaton bit the bullet and travelled to York.

“Thiu (player-coach Barnard) didn’t want us to play the game, but I thought ‘What would (former chairman) Alan Bentley have done?’ and I knew that we had to fulfil the fixture, no matter what team we sent,” admitted Cleckheaton’s chairman Neil Gillan.

“York had their first XV front five playing but few backs, whereas we were the opposite, and we won 24-19 to book ourselves a quarter-final at Wharfedale in February.”

Tries came from Mikey Hayward (3) and Matt Piper, and Barnard said: “We gave six players their first-team debuts - mostly young lads - but this week at Driffield we are near to full strength.

“It was difficult in selection, but that is a nice problem compared to the one that I usually have.”

Driffield, who are 10th in North One East, are two places and three points ahead of the visitors, who occupy the highest of the three relegation berths.

The Bees, who are ninth, have an intriguing clash at fifth-placed Morley.

The Maroons have won five out of six and the Bees their last four in a division where only eight points separate leaders Morpeth from the Wagon Laners.

Bradford & Bingley coach Anthony Posa said: “I wasn’t happy about crossing off against Ilkley, and if we didn’t take the Yorkshire Cup seriously we wouldn’t have played against West Leeds, but we had nine players out injured last weekend.

“What the Yorkshire RFU should do is play the first two rounds of the cups as pre-season games, and teams that lose in the first round should go into a plate against another first-round loser.

“That way teams would be through to the semi-finals before the league season starts, and who doesn’t want to win a cup if they get to the semi-finals?”

The Bees replace the returning Alex Keeton for the injured Matt Cochrane at hooker, and also have props Ryan Wederell and Roger Raper back, as well as back Lance Taylor.

In Yorkshire Division One, seventh-placed Bradford Salem, who have picked up points in every league game so far this season, are at home to third-placed Heath, who have won their last four.

Salem’s chairman Neil Klenk said: “We have lost our last six matches to Heath, including twice narrowly last season, and are still without Conor Wood (depressed cheekbone) and Max Trueman (wrist).”

Keighley, who are bottom of the pile and have lost five straight, host Old Rishworthians, who are two places above them in 12th and have lost their last four.

Ninth-placed Old Grovians, who have gained something from each of their five most recent league matches, host front-runners Wath in Yorkshire Division Two.

Baildon, beaten 34-24 at Halifax Vandals last weekend in the second round of the Yorkshire Vase, resume their quest for points in Yorkshire Division Three at Wensleydale.

Baildon’s player-coach Robbie Hill said: “We gave ourselves too much to do in the first half, and need to learn our lessons, but played better rugby in the second half.

“We are close to a full-strength back line this weekend and have also got a second XV playing.”

Wibsey beat Leeds Medics & Dentists 36-0 at Northfield Road in September but the leaders of Yorkshire Division Four North West are expecting a tougher match in the return fixture tomorrow.

“They were still getting themselves together and it was just after Freshers’ Week,” explained Wibsey’s player-coach Andy Robinson of hosts who are third in the table.

Wibsey welcome back playmaker Luke Helliwell at outside centre and switch Ben Naylor to the wing in place of Ryan Goldsborough.

Baildon (at Wensleydale): O Waddington; T Cluett, L Strauss, M Withers, M Wilson; N Lister, O Williams; A Hewitt, T Massey, T Stanley, R Cordingley, C Peel, A Magee, J Strauss, H Strauss. Replacements: P Wilson, D Cookson, R Hill.

Wibsey (at Leeds Medics & Dentists): B Wright; B Naylor, L Helliwell, N Marchant, R Moore; A Robinson, S Smith; S Birkbeck, J Brown, J Bradbury, E Cousins, S Foulds, J Tordoff, M Kite, M Darragh. Replacements: A Rose, A Cerson, R Simpson, L Wilson, B Mpofu.

Bradford Salem (home to Heath): R Smith; J Green, H Hall, C Clough, K Dobson; D Belcher, J Simpson; C King, G Griekis, W Collins, B Whitaker, R Green, M MacDonald, C Baines, N Fontaine. Replacements (from): K Moore, S Savage, S Gardner, S Guttenbeil, S Markey.