York defied the dreadful weather conditions to produce a fine team peformance and move into the second round of the Yorkshire Cup with a 13-5 win over Wakefield Stags at Clifton Park.

But they were hit by the loss of classy scrum half JP Laycock who was stretchered off with a torn hamstring after 15 minutes.

York took the field with seven changes from the previous week's line-up. A rainy, bitterly cold and windy day also promised little good rugby.

But instead the hundred or so spectators got all the heat they required in a marvellous game of rugby.

Wakefield were no mugs, as befitting the second string of a side playing in the Allied Dunbar Premiership 2, and included several players in their squad with 1st XV experience.

York started brightly and in the second minute, a clever kick over the top of his opposite number saw Leigh Deakin narrowly missing an opening try.

In the eighth minute York won a penalty for Wakefield not releasing and against the elements Nathan Savage opted to go for the points from 48 yards.

The ball struck the upright to bounce back to the Wakefield defensive line but they strayed offside and Savage, this time from 35 yards, made no mistake.

Shortly after Russ Allerton went on a 30 yard run, only a poor pass to Deakin spoiling the promised score.

York went further ahead when from another surging forward drive when Mark Roberts took the ball at pace, showed it on his outside then cut back inside to race in almost unopposed for a superb centre-three quarter try. Savage kicked the extras.

Five minutes later Wakefield's highly regarded full back, Smithers, raced through on the burst following the Wakefield No 8's run from midfield to put Wakefield back in the game. The conversion was missed.

York No 8 Ian Davies produced a devastating tackle to excite the crowd when he took out the Wakefield flanker as he raced for the York line.Then on the stroke of half time, Savage put York further ahead with a 45 yard penalty.

The second half was pointless as regards the scoring, but the quality of rugby from both sides defied the conditions and the elements.

Bevan, Davies, Sean Bass and Charlie Karma were always sniping at the Wakefield defensive cover, and Savage was outstanding.

Deakin and Allerton went close, Bass came within feet of a try and Bevan was held up fractionally short as all York's team contributed to a wonderful game.

Wakefield ended the day on the ascendancy, replacing four players with tactical substitutions which paid dividends, but York weathered the storm.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.