Yorkshire Carnegie
The Kids overcome stubborn Nottingham
The people's choice!
By Haxbytyke
November 7 2011
Leeds moved into 7th place in the league table with a hard fought victory over Nottingham. Although the visitors looked little better than ordinary, Leeds were grateful to a couple of contentious refereeing decisions helping them to their narrow 22 points to 19 victory.
It only took a minute for Leeds to get the scoreboard ticking, whenLeedscollected the kick off, and Ford kicked high into the afternoon sunshine. Thornley and Stephenson gave chase, and when Notts conceded a penalty, Tommy Bell slotted the ball between the sticks.
Shortly after Sean Hohneck was injured while stealing the ball at a lineout, and on 6 minutes Tommy Bell again put the ball between the posts when Notts infringed 30 yards out. Phil Swainston was injured now, and he had to be helped off, Dave Young taking his place.
It was all Leeds for the first 20 minutes, but when a poor Joe Barker pass gave the ball away, Leeds were caught offside, and Kieran Hallett made the score 6 – 3. Sadly, Tom Denton than had to leave the field injured, officially to the blood bin, but his injury was enough to keep him out of the rest of the game.
Another penalty to Leeds after Stephenson had made good ground was put wide byBell, and almost immediately Leeds had a lucky let off after some sloppy play. Joe Ford collected a kick inside his own half in acres of space. Instead of making ground he passed to Barker, who immediately passed to Lee Blackett. He appeared to lose the ball in the tackle, and the visitors’ winger gratefully ran 50 yards to cross theLeedsline. However, the referee decided Notts had knocked on and called play back for a scrum.
The Notts pack were gaining some sort of parity, andLeedswere struggling to defend scrums and mauls in their own 22. Eventually they conceded a penalty, and from near the touchline Hallett levelled the scores. Nottingham failed to deal with the restart, and Nilsen and Stephenson combined to force a penalty whichBellagain converted. The lead didn’t last long,Leedswere caught offside, and another Hallett penalty took the teams in for the break at 9 apiece.
Sean Hohneck was also missing as the teams returned, but Leeds were quickly back in front, when Thornley made 40 yards down the South stand side, to win a penalty which Bell again struck gracefully between the uprights.
Not for the first time, (or the last),Leedsfailed to deal with the restart, but Notts failed to take advantage, but they did miss the chance to level the scores when Hallett missed a fairly easy penalty kick. It didn’t matter though, because from the drop outLeedsconceded yet another 50 yard try thanks to 5 missed tackles. Juan Pablo Socino was the beneficiary as he weaved his way through some pathetic attempted tackling to cross close to the posts. James Arlidge took over the kicking duties, and his conversion gave the visitors the lead for the first time.
The lead didn’t last long. Notts cleared to touch, and while they were discussing where the line out should be, Blackett quickly threw the ball to Bell who made a 30 yard surge down the touchline. When the ball was worked across field, Sam Lockwood battered into the visitors defence, Nilsen andWalkerdrove in, before Joe Barker went for the line. He was stopped but managed to release the ball, and there was Richard Beck to collect and crash over. A well worked try, but from my position, a hint of a forward pass from Barker. The ref thought otherwise and Bell added the extras.
Nottingham pressed to get back in the game and they were level again whenLeedsfailed to deal with a drive at a scrum, and Arlidge did the rest. It was anybody’s game, but on 73 minutes, good counter rucking fromLeedswon a scrum, and the ball was delivered to Joe Ford who coolly dropped a goal from 35 yards.
Notts wouldn’t lie down, and pressed again when Leeds dropped the restart, but when they dropped the ball in theLeeds22 their chance looked to have gone.Leeds had the scrum but amazingly conceded a penalty for collapsing it to give Arlidge a simple chance from 25 yards, in front of the posts to level the scores. To our surprise and delight he pushed the kick wide, and Leeds held on for a narrow 22 – 19 win.
Hardly a classic for the 2084 spectators, but it was entertaining, with Leeds once again giving us a cliff-hanger finish. There are still too many errors, but gradually these are being eliminated, and the team never knows when to give in. There were some good individual performances, too. In the backs, Thornley and Stephenson worked tremendously hard making breaks and chasing kicks, while in the forwards, the back row well led by Jacob Rowan all put in a good shift.
Tommy Bell was the official MoM, but for me one player stood above the rest. All afternoon he chased, he carried, he tackled and his constant urgings took the team forward. My bottle of plonk goes to Phil Nilsen.
With 5 successive wins, and a trip to Esher, to follow Leeds are now looking to be the team the others have to beat. There is still a long way to go and it’s too early to get carried away but Leeds are riding their luck at the minute, and when you look at the number of players waiting to return from injury, things at Headingley suddenly look a whole lot brighter.
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon
07/11/2011 05:28
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:12:19:18:33 by Wildwillie.
We ere the beneficiaries of a couple of key decisions from 'Sir', as I have said before these things even out over a season and let's hope that finally any RFU conspiracy theories are put to bed.
Have to say that the better things about the team are becoming much more common, now, and given the injury situation I still have a great deal of optimism for the remaining season ahead.....with the proviso that some of the dreadful defensive lapses are sorted out. I watched the Notts try at the start of the second half from behind the posts and the 'tackling' was remniscient of tag-rugby. You've got to bring the man down, boys, or at least stop him until the back-row grunt arrives!
Finally I would be interested to see the play around the time that some of our first half injuries occurred, especially Denton's. I suspect 'a job was done' on Big Red and I wonder if this was caught on camera.
Miserati - and Proud to be!
However, onward & upwards. Our next League match against Esher should be a walk in the park and a high scoring win, with all respect to Esher who appear to be out of their depth in this league.
A word for the officials. While I am sure Haxby is correct in his report, I do give credit to this weeks officials for keeping a controlling, but sensible grip on proceedings throughout.
How good that the South Stand did not have cause for massive critisism of them this time.
Well done chaps! (and I rarely am able to make such comment.......!)
And I do agree with Hax. about Phil Nielsen. Plug played his heart out giving 110% throughout and looked understandably knackered at the end! Good on yer Plug, well done.
Up the Carnegie TYKES !
Quote:Mark_C
Finally I would be interested to see the play around the time that some of our first half injuries occurred, especially Denton's. I suspect 'a job was done' on Big Red and I wonder if this was caught on camera.
I wouldn't be surprised if one of our own guys was involved - Tom put someone, couldn't see who, on his backside in no uncertain terms during the warmn-up!
Thre was plenty to be pleased about yesterday in a tense match. A lot of very good fast entertaining play in the middle of the field coupled with intelligent positional kicking and a very cool head by Joe Ford in slotting over the match winning drop goal.
Our defensive game in close contact was very good, however, this was spoiled in open play culminating in a the Nottingham long range try with several Leeds tacklers flapping fresh air!
That apart an entertaining afternoon at Headingley.
It is good to see the 'kids' gelling together and I suspect there will be more to come once injured players become available.
Finally, what is Plug on 'cos I want some. Awesome!
The first Leeds Tykes child mascot...#leedswasps0203season. #cheersbentos
We usually have to put up with very poor standards, poor decisions and really crass officials.
As I have suggested elsewhere, the three who handled the Nottingham fixture, were in my view, the best officials I have witnessed at any level for a very long time!
Well done chaps, take a bow!
Up the Carnegie TYKES !
