By simonH
October 30 2004

On a cool, still Headingley evening a week before bonfire night, Leeds Tykes’ European campaign fizzled out like a wet sparkler. In an agonising finish with Tykes four points clear, the French visitors broke through stout defence to score the decisive try two minutes into stoppage time.

It was a cruel and crushing way to end the tie. But probably, on balance, a fair result.There was very little between the two sides, something reflected in the closeness of the scores in both legs of the tie. While Grenoble dominated possession, for many periods they seemed to lack a cutting edge and showed little real imagination in attack. Leeds, by contrast, looked threatening and dangerous when they had the ball, with the backs running faster, straighter and stronger than their opponents. Unfortunately, Leeds did not have the ball as much as they would have liked. Both sides were guilty of fundamental handling errors. Both sides’ lineouts were sound, with Leeds’s makeshift second row of Rigney and Morgan performing admirably. The set scrums were fairly matched, until Tykes found an edge early in the second half, but substitutions of the two French props resumed stability for the visitors.

 

Here, then, is roughly what happened. Tykes kicked off right-to-left from the South stand viewpoint. Within a minute Grenoble were awarded a penalty some 45 metres out after Tykes were done for failing to release the ball after the tackle. The resulting kick at goal from Grenoble’s no. 10, Suarez, bounced off the bar. The ball was gathered by a Leeds forward, but an infringement at the maul left Suarez with a much easier pop at goal only 24 metres out, which he converted.

 

Three minutes gone, Leeds 0, Grenoble 3.

 

Shortly afterwards, good pressure by the Tykes was rewarded with a scrummage on Grenoble’s 22. A penalty resulted, giving Ross a simple shot at goal which he duly slotted.

 

Six minutes: Leeds 3, Grenoble 3.

 

For the next 10 minutes Tykes soaked up pressure. Grenoble’s fly half put up a couple of huge up-and-unders, which Balshaw fielded superbly. Deep in their own territory Tykes were given a penalty which Balshaw took quickly, gaining extra yardage when the opposition were blown up for not retreating the full ten metres. Ross put the ball into Grenoble’s 22 for a lineout. Tykes won clean ball and spun it out wide at pace, with Snyman making a trademark break through the middle, feeding Shelley and eventually reaching Rees out on the far side, who went over to score. Ross failed with the conversion.

 

Thirteen minutes: Leeds 8, Grenoble 3.

 

The visitors came back strongly, with Tykes weathering wave upon wave of attack, successfully clearing their lines following powerful defensive tackling that dislodged the ball from the marauding Frenchmen.

 

But Grenoble turned the screw further, spending long periods in Tykes’ territory. Finally the visitors were rewarded with a penalty 45 metres out, which was successfully kicked by the fly-half.

 

27 minutes: Leeds 8, Grenoble 6.

 

On thirty minutes a foray into Grenoble’s territory resulted in a penalty, which Ross missed. However, more pressure by Tykes brought another penalty 22 metres out after Grenoble’s prop, the somewhat ironically named Petit, was binned for killing the ball. Ross converted.

 

33 minutes: Leeds 11, Grenoble 6.

 

Despite being down to 14 men, Grenoble came back strongly, retaining the ball well and putting pressure on the Tykes deep in the home team’s half. But Tykes defence held firm, and the visitors lacked any real penetration. Then their two most effective backs, outside centre Lubbe and slippery left-winger Gauthier, combined well, with the no. 11 cutting through the  Leeds’ defence with a mazey run and feeding Lubbe, who touched down in the corner. Try converted.

 

Half time: Tykes 11, Grenoble 13.

 

After having led for most of the half, it was disappointing to see Tykes go in at the break with a deficit. Clearly there was work to be done. One area in which the visitors definitely had the edge was in the speed of their recycling; theirs was crisp and quick, ours ponderous. McMillan looked off the pace to me, and often the ball seemed to spend an age in a perfectly deliverable position at the base of a ruck before our no. 9 decided to spin it.

 

Phil Davies presumably agreed, because 8 minutes into the second half on came Dickens. This substitution put some zip into the Tykes’ attack, with the ball moving a lot quicker. Around this time the pack also found more energy, and it was heartening to see us massacre the Grenoble set scrum on a couple of occasions. This pressure, which resulted in both the visitors’ props being substituted, was rewarded with a kickable penalty which Ross slotted.

 

57 minutes: Tykes 14, Grenoble 13.

 

Further good work by the tight five, with Regan and Holt prominent in the loose, gave us another shot at goal, with Ross obliging.

 

61 minutes: Tykes 17, Grenoble 13.

 

By now, we were finding a bit more rhythm, but were still having to defend resolutely. The Frenchmen showed the terrific handling skills that define their country’s rugby, with forwards slipping short balls between one another and making impressive yardage, and the backs moving quickly and slickly.

 

Leeds were forced to defend and defend, with only the occasional excursion into their opponents’ half. Biggs made one excellent try-saving tackle, and Rees was adventurous in attack when he had the ball in hand.

 

As the minutes ticked away the tension was becoming too much to bear. Leeds had only a slight cushion – four points – and Grenoble were giving it everything. On 80 minutes the visitors were awarded a penalty in front of the posts. The ref indicated that they were going for goal, which mystified all 2805 of us. Then the substitute fly-half kicked for touch – which mystified us again.

 

Clean lineout ball, quick hands, a chip to the corner, a friendly bounce. A try. A bloody try.

 

 I am going to post this piece, and then I am going to have some more whisky and lie down in a dark room for a bit.