HAVING won twice last season against Morley, Ilkley were rightly installed as pre-match favourites for their North Premier League clash against the Maroons at Scatcherd Lane last Saturday.

However, despite watching his side win 24-15 to make it two wins from two this season, there were some harsh words afterwards from Ilkley's head of rugby Rhys Morgan.

He admitted: "It was a little bit loud, but sometimes you have to shout if you think that your message is not getting through.

"We were well below-par, and my son Charlie, who is captain, summed it up well when he spoke, saying 'There is a difference between being confident and being arrogant', and we were arrogant, and I never want to see that happen again.

"You have to respect every team in this division, and not just think that you can turn up and win, and we were nowhere near the level that we should have been at.

"If we had played really well and only won by nine points, I would have been even more worried."

On a heavy pitch that wasn't helped by two downpours, there was an excuse for handling errors, but Morgan was not happy with the number that his team made.

He added: "Dan Lawrence had been ill and one or two of his throws weren't as good as normal, while one or two other players were rusty with things such as clearing players out, but it is early days.

"We have actually started this season better than for the past four seasons by winning two from two, even in the season when we were promoted, but we aren't firing on all four cylinders yet.

"It could even take until Christmas or at least December before we are, and I am one for just trying to win the following Saturday, and the season will take care of itself if we do."

Ilkley face an intriguing test on Saturday, being at home to North One West champions Kirkby Lonsdale, who won all 26 league matches last season.

They have also started this season with two victories, triumphing 34-12 at Birkenhead Park and 24-14 at home to Kendal, who Ilkley defeated 20-16 at Stacks Field.

Morgan said: "They work hard for each other and have no superstars, although they have one or two very good players. They also chase everything."

Ilkley are missing prop Josh Cochrane (shoulder), with Louis Jerome stepping in, while scrum half Jack Maplesden could well rest an ankle injury.

If he does, Morgan may well be tempted to take both Blake Morgan, man of the match for the second XV last Saturday, and Jimmy Crowther in the hope of giving them both reasonable game-time.