WELCOME After the excitement of Cup rugby last week we return to league duty today – and we'll be returning quite often before the season ends. The way the fixtures have panned out means that last week's game was the first of a sequence of eight home matches in 11 games, moreover four of our final five games are here at Acklam Park. Take a look at p24 to check the dates.

With the domestic information out of the way I am delighted to welcome our visitors from Barnard Castle, handily placed in third spot in the table but with games in hand over the top two – it should be quite a scrap for promotion. They eased their way into the season with a friendly win against Upper Eden and a Cup victory over Stockton, before beating Westoe and Gosforth but losing to Gateshead and Hartlepool in September; three of those games were away from home. Since then in their next 12 league games they have lost only once, 13-24 at home to Stockton – in other words they have beaten both teams above them, and remember they have two games in hand over them both.

WIZARD WEEKEND What a fantastic weekend of Cup rugby! We hosted three Cup matches, with two on Saturday and another on Sunday. The Saturday games provided a veritable TRYFEST of entertainment – a total of 29 touchdowns – and welcomed back into our midst Jon Steel, one of our former Juniors who went on to become a dual-code international for Scotland and is now player coach with Hullensians, our opponents in the Yorkshire Shield. The Junior link made it particularly appropriate that Juniors joined us for lunch, and we enjoyed the company of players, coaches and parents from our U16s squad. The hearty meal obviously fired them up and they beat Wensleydale 31-10 in their Cup match on Sunday.

Those of you on the Twickenham trip missed an exhilarating display of fast, fluid attacking rugby against Hullensians, an exhibition befitting the gloriously sunny afternoon. Our team of entirely home-grown players scored nine tries, most of them long-range affairs as our threequarters crashed through the mesmerised opposition. For good measure Matty converted all but one of them.

Everything looked rosy as we raced into a 19-0 lead playing up the slope, but our visitors pulled back seven points, and although we added another try we conceded three from catch-and-drives, two in added time, to make it all square at the break, 26-all. We started and finished the second period with tries, in between scoring a further three to Hullensians' two, to make the final score 61-36. The tries from our backs were electric. Wingers Sean and Ben got a brace apiece, with Conner and first team debutant Callum Marshall also bursting through to score. The forwards contributed three tries through the athletic Euan, who scored the first one, the young Hercules Keiran Clark, making his 1st XV home debut, and Shaun 'Samson' Kay. Liam, who has handed over the captaincy to Matty, covered every blade of grass as he marauded tirelessly. Our victory has earned us a home semi final game against either Wath upon Dearne or Selby, which is scheduled for 18 March; Wath and Selby are due to play their quarter final in two weeks, on 25 February.

The Wasps and the 'A' team both lost, not surprisingly on a league-free Saturday when clubs with idle first teams naturally strengthen from above rather than promote from below – if there is a 'below' that is. The Wasps match with Percy Park was a CANDY Cup and league double-header. Against a bigger and stronger side we still scored five tries, but Park crossed nine times. Although we lost 29-52 it was a sterling performance, as described in Jonno's match report. The 'A' team met a similar fate at Guisborough, losing 49-12.

SIX NATIONS After weeks of anticipation the tournament is finally up and running, and although there was much hullabaloo about the introduction of bonus points in the end the only losing ones were awarded. There were surprises in each game, not least England's stuttering performance. However a rejuvenated France who statistically out performed them in almost every important aspect of the match found it difficult to get the better of England's defence...and England won. I'd settle for another ugly win today!

In fact three different versions of the 6 Nations got underway last weekend. The fixtures were replicated across the board and England achieved a 100 per cent record against France. The U20s earned a bonus point in winning 59-17 whilst England Women – the Red Roses – overturned a 13-point half-time deficit to beat the reigning champions 26-13. Note that in the U20s 6 Nations England will play Italy at Darlington Mowden Park a week on Friday, 24 February, at 7.45pm. Ticket line 01325 350267. (And, in the World Sevens Series in Sydney England beat New Zealand 12-5 in the semi final before losing 14-29 to South Africa in the final.)

Last week I referred to the number of overseas-born players in the 6 Nations, adding that the competition could be called the Twenty Nations! Every squad includes players born elsewhere, with Scotland topping the list with eight Englishmen among their 18 foreign recruits. There are only two non-Englishmen in the Welsh group of 10 'foreigners' and they are followed by Italy with eight, England with seven, Ireland with six and France with four, a total of 53 players qualifying on residential grounds or because at least one of the parents or grandparents were born in that country. There are moves afoot to increase the residency period; I think they should also delete the grandparents qualification.

CLUB NEWS I am pleased to report that everyone on the trip to Twickenham returned safely, although some of the intrepid travellers are still nursing sore heads and haven't been seen since. The most welcome sight getting off the bus was Terry Wesson, who, instead of enduring the cold evening watching the international went off to the local hospital for a nice cuppa and a warm bed. The hospital gladly offered B&B for the night and made him so comfortable and cosy he was reluctant to leave, so the Admiral stood by to accompany him home. However he did make it and we all hope he is feeling better.

Kieran Jones, who was the 'A' team Player of the Year last season, is a kick-boxer and I did report earlier that he was off to Italy to take part in the World Championships. I am delighted that he returned with a gold and a silver medal. Many congratulations to him, and good wishes in his future contest, including Ireland in a few months.

Last week I asked if anyone could provide any information about Peter Marsh who played here in the 50s/60s before moving to Redcar RUFC, as his son is trying to put together a scrapbook for Peter's 87th birthday this year. Happily Alan Robinson has a photograph which includes Peter; if anyone else can help please let me know.

REFEREE'S CORNER Here's a happy coincidence – our referee today is Liam Taylor, the father of Owen Taylor, who was in charge of our Cup match last Saturday. I think this is his first visit to us as a referee and I am pleased to welcome him to Acklam Park this afternoon, although he may have accompanied Owen when he first came here as a player with Doncaster as a 13 year-old! Liam has been a referee for ten years, before which he played in the centre with his home club Thornensians, when they were “a more dizzy club”, he says. He is a road engineer by profession; I hope he enjoys his time with us today.