By apb on 3/2/2003
February 4 2003

The usual bravado and downright optimism could be seen on the Bristol messageboard beforehand. Every time we seem to see the same thing; "[the opposition] have better players". "Leeds don't travel well". "A high likelihood of a bonus point". The last one as it turned out was accurate.....

The Match

The game kicked off with some useful Shoguns pressure, and saw the home side camped out deep into the Tykes half. No surprises therefore, when Contepomi slotted a penalty over after eight minutes to take the lead. What was perhaps more surprising was how far back he had to take it from, given the pressure that was placed on the Tykes defence.

The score looked set to double when after twelve minutes another penalty was awarded in an eminently more kickable position. However the Poni didn't make it, and this was to prove one of a number of costly misses for the home side. Indeed, it was the last time the Shoguns were in the lead for the remainder of the match.

Shortly after, the play took a swing to the Tykes when after what I described in my notes as "an excellent piece of thievery" brought the Tykes into an attacking position on the Bristol 22. A penalty for handling in the ruck was awarded, and I confidently expected BVS to take the three to bring us level. But I was mildly surprised when the ball was handed to Goggsy to kick for the corner. The usual lineout shenanigans resulted in an attacking scrummage awarded, and the Tykes pack were awesome in applying the pressure to the Bristol tight five who had up to then dominated the forward battle. Repeated collapsing offences gave the referee little opportunity but to award the penalty try. BVS added the two to make it 7-3.

The restart saw another wave of Bristol pressure, and the unusual sight of a full fifteen man ruck still failed to breach the Leeds defence, when a handling infringement gave the home side the opportunity to close the gap to a single point after 32 minutes. We still had a game, and Bristol were looking threatening at every attack.

Leeds still had a few aces up their sleeves however, and produced a blinder when some great interplay between all fifteen men saw Zac crash through the line to finish the score. BVS added the extras (despite the unsporting booing) and it was 14-6.

The restart once again saw Bristol on the Leeds 22, and Dan Hyde took a fairly serious looking (but clearly accidental) kick to the face which took some sorting out. However he gamely played on, only to see an offside penalty quickly taken by Pichot to race in at the far corner. However the linesman gave a foot in touch, and the resulting defensive lineout allowed Leeds to clear. A penalty shortly after looked to have been scurfed wide by Contepomi, and both linesmen kept their flags down, but the referee overruled and the half-time score was 14-9.

The second half started pretty much as the first half did, with Bristol applying pressure without converting it into points. The first real attack from Bristol saw a massive overlap with acres of space, and it was surely a simple touchdown for the Bristol winger, when Dan Scarbrough teleported over from the centre of the park to deny the score (He must have teleported - no one can run that fast....).

A diving over penalty in front of the posts allowed the Shoguns to get within two points of the lead, and the teams now seemed to settle into a fairly scrappy period of the game where handling seemed to be a problem. Complex moves were tried by both sides, only for the final passes to be knocked on or for the ball carrier to run into one of his own team; it was around twenty minutes of scrummaging.

One of these allowed Bristol some more pressure when a couple of dreadful passes from Scotty Benton - on as a half-time replacement - failed to hit their intended targets gave away an attacking scrum on the 5 metre line. He redeemed himself seconds later however when he poached the ball away from Pichot at the back of the scrum.

The Tykes then woke up a bit to what was happening. The passing wasn't really working, so Goggsy stepped up and played the percentages, allowing the game to be played much more in the Shoguns' half. One of these plays gave him the room to try for a drop, and picked it off cleanly for what was to be the last score of the match.

The Referee

Mr. Lander these days comes with a bit of baggage. He has a reputation, and therefore any decision he gives is bound to be derided by any fan of the team who comes off worse from it. I have to say however, that a number of calls from the fans around me were - in my opinion - just plain wrong, and in general Mr. Lander was just about even. Sure, there were a few dodgy decisions given, both in our favour and against, but I have seen much worse displays this year than that one.

The Team Performance

Once again, this was more a game of hard graft and blinding defence than enterprising attack. "A Star team, rather than a team of Stars" is the oft quoted line we use. certainly the team were there to play for each other, and all the squad looked ready to do everything to ensure the win. The longer the game wore on, the less likely Leeds looked like conceding anything other than goal attempts, and the Bristol team looked increasingly more desparate to throw the ball around and try anything to get through.

What the Tykes seem to be lacking at the moment is the breathtaking confidence and handling ability we saw at the season's curtain raiser against Leicester. Once we get that level of play back, then we really will be able to challenge for the top slot!

The Crowd

This was my first away game, and coincided with a visit to the place of my birth. Since the recent financial trouble blew up at the Memorial Ground, I only thought it right to do my bit for the club and persuade some of my immediate family to come along. In the Centenary Terrace, surrounded by some strident Bristol supporters (some of whom I wasn't related to!), my son and I did our best to shout down the local support. But we were made to feel very welcome despite the colour of our shirts, and look forward to meeting everyone again at the Mem next year....