Barnsley set pace in Premier League

The South Yorkshire club are already in pole position again after three fixtures.

Although they and Chapel Allerton both have 47 points, Barnsley head the division by virtue of having won all three of their matches.

After recording a 15-8 home win over Heaton in their opener, the title holders have triumphed 15-9 at Abbeydale and defeated Pontefract Seconds 17-7 in the past fortnight.

Barnsley’s mixture of youth and experience in their top three were crucial to their most recent victories, with 33-year-old Andy Whipp, Peter Billson, 34, and 17-year-old James Peach winning both their matches.

Meanwhile, Chapel Allerton recovered from a shock loss to Hull and East Riding in their first match by winning 18-7 at Heaton and routing Abbeydale 19-5 in their next two matches.

Dunnington are three points behind Barnsley and Chapel Allerton after also recovering from an opening-round defeat – at home to Hallamshire – by cruising to a 17-3 win at Hull and ER and recording a 19-6 home victory against Heaton.

Hallamshire are undefeated after two matches, beating Dunnington 15-8 and Pontefract 18-3.