ILKLEY may have ended Kirkby Lonsdale's 28-game unbeaten run last Saturday, but Rhys Morgan isn't reading too much into his team's 21-7 victory at Stacks Field.

The Cumbrians may have won all 26 of their matches in North One West last season and the opening two games of this season in the North Premier League, and head of rugby Morgan said: "It is a result that some people may have sat up and taken notice of.

"The early signs are that clubs such as Morley, Birkenhead Park and Pocklington have got some work to do and that teams such as Lymm and Harrogate are going to be difficult to beat.

"Who knows? Kirkby Lonsdale, for example, might lose their next five matches, but it is only three games into a long season and we will have a better idea of where we are in another five weeks' time."

Nevertheless, Morgan was delighted with how his team played, particularly in leading 21-0 after 25 minutes.

He said: "Our initial aim was to make sure that we were still in the game after 20 minutes, but ball in hand we wanted to get it outside of their first three or four tacklers.

"When I first came here we had to play a forward-oriented game, but now the aim is to play 15-man rugby, which is more enjoyable both to watch and play in, especially with our backs and with two forwards who were part of our National Sevens-winning squad.

"It is a game-plan that we would like to continue with all season, although we may have to play a more area-based game in the winter."

Ilkley face an equally different and difficult test on Saturday on Billingham's new 4G pitch (2.30).

However, Morgan, who is keeping much the same squad as defeated Kirkby Lonsdale, added: "It should suit us.

"The lads who came in did great, and it was difficult for Blake Morgan, with his dad being head coach and his two brothers playing, one of whom was captain, but he was recommended to me to play by Andy Hinchliffe and Nathan Smith, and he did fantastically well."