RHYS Morgan says Ilkley will make the most of their cup distraction this weekend after suffering a one-point loss in their last league game.

The Stacks Field side travel to Harrogate in the quarter-final of the Yorkshire Cup, the only one of the last-eight ties which doesn't feature a walkover.

Ilkley will be looking to avenge a 16-15 defeat to Wirral in the North Premier which put them eighth in the table on 52 points.

Their next league game sees Ilkley travel to runaway leaders Hull on Saturday, March 2.

But first they have a cup date with mixed team news. Max McKay is back after recovering from a shoulder injury, Billy Nicholls will be unavailable after being selected for the Yorkshire Under-20s who play this weekend. Ben Waddington is cup tied for Saturday's clash against their fellow North Premier side after playing for West Leeds in the competition earlier this season.

JH Johnson will also be rested as a precaution after suffering a knock during the Wirral clash, while Chuckie Ramsey will be available for the trip to North Yorkshire.

Morgan said: "The cup is something we are really keen on. We have always tried to take it as seriously as possible. Teams seem to be forever pulling out.

"These days the league is far more important. The Yorkshire Cup does mean a lot to me, I have won it three times before.

"We will be doing our best to go through. It is a tough game as it always is at Harrogate, we are under no illusions.

"We will give it our best shot. It is a one-off game, we can throw everything at it."

The head of rugby was pleased with Ilkley's performance against Wirral but was disappointed his side could not kill off the Merseysiders.

Morgan added: "We could not bounce into the cup game with a win but I was pleased with the performance against Wirral.

"We had eight opportunities to score against Wirral. We blew it really. We were the better team. We let them score early doors.

"It did not quite go our way. We had enough opportunities to beat them, we just did not take them. We were just not clinical enough.

"We have just struggled lately, as the team has changed week in week out. The consistency of the team selection helped us before Christmas and we were able to go on a great run.

"We are still playing some great rugby. We did not get over the line on Saturday.

"It was a bit disappointing, but we are still in a good position in the league."