Fylde welcome Hull Ionians to the Woodlands on Saturday (ko 15.00) for the 21st National League game between the clubs. Fylde are currently in 4th place in N2(N), Ionians in 6th, and they are both amongst six clubs establishing a breakaway at the top of the division.
Ionians started the season very positively, with four victories in the first five matches, at Chester (14-29) and Harrogate (13-36) and home to Tynedale (50-14) and Huddersfield (31-17). Very narrow defeats at Loughborough Students (29-24) and home to promotion favourites Rotherham (24-27) and Sedgley Park (21-28) stalled progress somewhat but successive wins at Bournville (43-46) and home to Blaydon (51-19) have reinvigorated their challenge. The narrowness of their three defeats against quality opponents suggest a very competitive and hard working squad who fight to the end.
Fylde and Hull Ionians first locked horns in the 2005-6 season in National Two (North) and Ionians’ first visit to the Woodlands was on 8th April 2006. The East Yorkshire club took the first game 25-24 at Brantingham Park in December 2015 and the return home game at the Woodlands was just as close with a last minute try by their then Head Coach Mick Watson equalling the final score at 35-all.
Fylde’s record improved in the six seasons the clubs met each other running up to the end of the 2010-11 campaign with nine victories, a draw and three defeats. Fylde were promoted to National One for the 2011-12 season and in 2015-16 Ionians joined them in that division. It was the Yorkshiremens’ turn to dominate, with five wins against Fylde’s three up to the end of the 2018-19 campaign. Both clubs were relegated in 2018 but Ionians bounced back immediately for another season in National One in 2018-19 which ended in another relegation in 2020. Overall, in 20 matches, the balance sheet shows 12 Fylde victories, 7 to Ionians and the single draw.
| Woodlands | Brantington P | |||
| 2005-6 | 35-35 | D | 25-24 | L |
| 2006-7 | 29-0 | W | 19-48 | W |
| 2007-8 | 17-10 | W | 8-24 | W |
| 2008-9 | 38-14 | W | 10-21 | W |
| 2009-10 | 35-9 | W | 27-17 | L |
| 2010-11 | 76-14 | W | 13-34 | W |
| 2015-16 | 35-38 | L | 26-36 | W |
| 2016-17 | 38-17 | W | 29-31 | W |
| 2017-18 | 12-14 | L | 33-14 | L |
| 2018-19 | 29-41 | L | 34-22 | L |
One major new ‘signing’ in the close season was Head Coach Graham Steadman who brings extensive rugby league experience to the Club, including more than 200 appearances for Castleford, and a rugby union CV which takes in the Ireland and Scotland national sides as well as Newcastle Falcons, Cardiff Blues and London Scottish. His priority will be to guide the first team back to National League 1 but he is also charged with filling some of the rugby development gaps created by cuts at the Rugby Football Union and maintaining and extending rugby union participation in a city dominated by RL.
Perhaps the most outstanding player in the Ionians’ squad is former England Counties and Yorkshire lock Joe Makin who has played against Fylde many times. He’s just marked his commitment by making his 300th appearance for the Club. Other very experienced members of the Ionians pack include props David Laverick and Ben Bell, and backrower and skipper James Stephenson. Other forwards being mentioned in recent despatches include backrower George Mewburn and one of the notable Thundercliffe clan, Josh.
Backs to look out for include former Doncaster Phoenix fly-half Will Burden, who, in the absence of the highly experienced but injured Lewis Minikin, has also taken over goal kicking responsibilities. Dangerous backs include the very rapid fullback Jack Townend and winger Sam Wilson who, incidentally, says on the Ionians website that the team he most looks forward to playing against is Fylde!
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Fylde make one change in their starting line-up – Ben O’Ryan is at blindside flanker. 3 changes amongst the replacements with Adam Lewis, Charlie Partington & Tom Forster coming in.
Click here for the official match programme.
