IPSWICH YM will discover later this week whether or not their Junior Vase Second Round clash with Billericay is to be replayed.

YM lost to the Essex side 27-18, at home on Saturday but the Suffolk team have lodged an appeal to London & SE RFU.

This is because they were not allowed to use rolling subs, by officials from the Suffolk & Essex Referees’ Society at the weekend, despite RFU London voting to implement the move in all Level 5 games and below at the beginning of this season, as well as in Intermediate Cup, Senior Vase and Junior Vase matches.

YM director of rugby, Andrew Moore, said: “Our game-plan is based on rolling subs.

“We brought some players off after 20 minutes and were then not allowed to put them back on, and at one stage during the game, we only had 13 fit players on the pitch.

“I understand that this will be seen as sour grapes and could be unfair on Billericay but the issue here is that this was a national cup game and the rules and regulations should have been followed.”

London SE Cup Administrator, Mike Ward, said yesterday: “There has been a complaint made by Ipswich YM and it will be dealt with accordingly.

“I am in no doubt that the regulations were not fulfilled, when they should have been and I have a decision to make in the next 48 hours.

“That decision will be subject to an appeal by Billericay.”

Trevor White, the chairman and treasurer of Suffolk and North Essex Rugby Referees, defended the match official appointed for the game and explained they were only aware of the rolling subs rule applying to league games.

“The referee applied the regulations as we knew them,” he explained.

“If the rules or regulations change, we will apply them.

“We do not make the laws, we just apply what we are told.”

Mr Ward declined to comment on Mr White’s claims.