Rugby’s greatest rivalry was renewed at Ossett’s Queen’s Terrace in a hard-fought thriller which went right to the wire. Neither an overnight carpeting of snow nor a morning deluge could dampen spirits ahead of the Second XV’s visit to their greatest nemeses. The pitch was declared playable as only minimal ice shards were found on the playing surface by kick off, and players’ hearts warmed by the prospect of toasting victory with a loaf of ciabatta.

As Burley gathered the troops for a Headingley Taps breakfast, some members of the squad felt somewhat fragile, though driven by the motivation of rugby’s greatest trophy. Captain Mike Welsh was determined to RISE to the occasion, while Rupert Joyce’s Fruity mood required extra sugar in his ‘coffee’.

The return of Sean Astbury from injury was a welcome boost, while Mason Crookes also made his comeback with a mouthguard freshly moulded in Red Bull. A rapid start saw Alex Spriggs accelerate and step inside his man to open the scoring for Burley out wide, while strongest man in Yorkshire Will Webb tied up four defenders at a time and still made ground with his carries.

The front row of Arthur Death, Luke Chadwick and James Hill earned early scrum dominance, with Hill’s opposite number raising the white flag on multiple occasions, while Ted Tacon was a menace at lineout time. Mason Crookes made his mark with a series of gladiatorial interventions not seen since the days of the Colosseum, while Nathan Gostick let nothing through. Forward dominance paved the way for Rupert Joyce to score his second Burley try, before Mike Welsh orchestrated a backs move which resulted in Toby Ashworth scoring in the corner.

Great defence by Kieran Quigley and Dan Hardy repelled Ossett’s attempt to strike back, before Zac Ling’s kick found its way into the arms of Oisin Murphy who raced in from halfway to give the visitors a four-try lead. Lucien Wray couldn’t resist a belly slide in the snow to celebrate before Ling added the extras.

Ossett got a try back in the final play of the first half, despite Lucien Wray’s rib crunching tackle, proving that there was still plenty of rugby to be played. The fresh legs of Harry Fearn, Alex Heard, Sean Astbury, Aaron ‘Woodchuck’ Woods and Ash Kay entered the fray in preparation for a rejuvenated Ossett coming down the slope.

Burley threw bodies on the line in defence of the breadboard, with Jasper Douglass and Linus Monaghan disrupting the set-piece effectively. However, the hosts gained a dominance and broke down the defence with three tries to level the scores. Excitement grew amongst the home support behind the posts, with numbers breeding as the temperature rose, especially when Lucien Wray helpfully pointed them in the direction of the incorrect scoreboard moments before conceding the equaliser.

With the match threatening to slip from Burley’s grasp, Alex Smith introduced the Bomber Squad, led by Arthur Death, Arron Woodchuck and Clayton Eisenbrand, seeking to wrestle back control. An all-action team performance ensured the match was poised on the edge of a bread knife as it entered the closing stages.

Zac Ling tried his luck from a penalty but his kick shaded wide, while Mark Fisher’s drop goal narrowly fell 15 metres short of the posts. With just a minute and a half left on the clock, Burley’s moment of inspiration came courtesy of Sean Astbury, as he stepped around his man and raced into the corner to raucous celebrations.

More dogged defence ensured there were no further chances as the clock entered the red, as Burley held out for a 22-27 victory. The thrilling contest was befitting of the Breadboard’s illustrious history, sitting proudly back in the Burley trophy cabinet and proving true the old adage: #WinnersAreGrinners.