DRIFFIELD fought back last week with a fine second half performance to beat North Ribblesdale.
And this week they will be looking to build on that second half when they travel to play second bottom Dinnington and look to finish the year on a high.
Director of rugby, Patrick Burdass, said: “The main thing is we go there mentally right and prepared.
“And we’re looking for an 80 minute performance rather than 40 minutes.
“We have never been to Dinnington before so we don’t really know what to expect, but we have picked a good strong side.
“We have to make sure we go into the Christmas break on the back of a good away win, which is really important.”
Driffield make a couple of changes. Harvey Harding is not available so Birch moves to 10 with Danny Smith at full back. Lester Bell continues at scrum half, with Ollie Cooper moving in to the second row.
Last week Driffield made a slow start, and Patrick was quick to point this out. He said: “We didn’t play particularly well in first half, and they deserved to be in front at half time and we were lucky to be only down by a couple of points, including one chance when their winger only had to catch the ball and run in and score, but he dropped the ball.
“But like the week before we turned it round in the second half.
“We should have turned the screw a little bit then, but we let them back in the game, before we scored a good try near the end, to give us a bit of breathing space.
“If we’re on honest with ourselves, both the players and the coaches realise we’re not playing as well as we can do and we’re scrapping ourselves out of it.
“But we will keep training and working hard and we will get through this wobble we are having, and sooner or later somebody might be on the end of a heavy defeat.
“But we can’t knock the effort and commitment, which is very good.”
The second team won again last week, as did the third team, and Patrick added: “The second team are in the middle of a good run, they just need to keep it going.
“They have turned it round big time since start of season, but it will be a difficult game at Sheffield Tigers, but hopefully they will continue their good form.”
Reports and pictures inside from the first, second and third team games plus pictures from the U15 game with Bridlington!
Above, action from the first team game.