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HARD FOUGHT WIN FOR RHINOS!
By leedsrhinos.biz July 21 2008
Brent Webb and Ryan Bailey were both missing for Saturday’s clash in the South of France due to injury. So Lee Smith was named at the full back position whilst Ryan Hall played in the vacant position on the wing. The opening exchanges of the game were dominated by the Rhinos; McGuire dummied, before delaying his pass to JJB, which almost saw the second row crossing the whitewash.

Match Report

Catalan Dragons 24 Leeds Rhinos 37 

 Saturday 19th July 2008, Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan.

 

Brent Webb and Ryan Bailey were both missing for Saturday’s clash in the South of France due to injury. So Lee Smith was named at the full back position whilst Ryan Hall played in the vacant position on the wing.

The opening exchanges of the game were dominated by the Rhinos; McGuire dummied, before delaying his pass to JJB, which almost saw the second row crossing the whitewash. 

But Leeds did get the first points on the board: on the next play, a neat Burrow bomb found the opposed Smith who caught it in mid air before diving of the line. After consulting the video referee, Ian Smith awarded the try and it as 6-0 to Leeds after Sinfield converted.

But it didn’t take long for the Catalans to answer. On seven minutes, Stacul got past Hall to score in the corner. Ian Smith wasn’t sure, so once again, he went to the video ref, and awarded the four points. Those four turned to six. It was six a piece.

Leeds were still dominant, but it was the Dragons who scored next. Hall failed to catch the ball on the last from a high kick and Elima collected and strolled over the line. Bosc converted again and the score was now 12-6 to the home side.

Leeds’ forwards were looking quite drained by this point. Take into account though that the temperature was mid to high twenties throughout the game. But the real blow came when the Catalan Dragons scored again on the twenty five minute mark. After a Leeds player was penalised for a high tackle, the Dragons moved down field and Raguin literally walked through a sluggish Rhinos defence. Bosc converted once more, and the score was now 18-6. Leeds had to score before half time.

..And they did! With only six minutes remaining in the half, Donald made a line break down his own wing, only to be stopped shortly before the line. But then, from the play the ball, McGuire kicked cross field and as Raguin tried to knock the ball dead in his in goal area, Ryan Hall, who made quite a few mistakes before this point, grounded the ball. Sinfield failed to find the boot but the Rhinos led into half time with only an eight point deficit.

Leeds knew what they had to do, and they did it. Sometimes you would just love to know what Bluey tells the lads in there at half time.

That eight point deficit was reduced to two early in the second half. Burrow picked up a bouncing ball from McGuire before weaving past a Catalan defender. Then, he passed inside to allow McGuire to get the four. Sinfield added the extras.

On the fifty minute mark, Hall knocked on whilst trying to collect a Dragons penalty which failed to find touch. The Dragons got the ball back and Elima then powered his way over the try line. Bosc converted to make the score 24-16. That Hall mistake could of cost us the game.

Just three minutes later, yet another great sidestep and break from Burrow allowed McGuire to cross the line for his second of the night. Sinfield missed a pretty easy conversion attempt, but we were only four points behind. 

Just before sixty minutes, Sinfield made a brilliant break before passing back inside to Ali who ran the twenty metres needed to get a further four points on the sheet. Sinfield added the extras and we were back in the lead; 26-24.


It was only a few minutes later until Donald collected a Dragons over head chip on his own twenty metre line. Scotty then completed the move not dissimiliar to the one he displayed against Castleford at the Headingley Carnegie just a few weeks ago, changing his running direction to go eighty metres and score. Sinfield, unusually for him, missed again, but we were six points ahead.


Three minutes before the final hooter, Diskin diffused a short kick off and Leeds moved the ball down field and made great use of the forwards. Then, Sinfield recieved the ball, and he chose to go for a drop goal, which gave the Rhinos a seven point lead.

But that wasn’t it...In the last minute, Catalans knocked on, and from the resulting scrum, McGuire made a half break before passing to Ryan Hall who looked pleased to have got his second of the night, despite his poor first half performance. Sinfield converted, and that was that, the Rhinos had won in the South of France for the very first time. The final score was 37-24.

It was very important that Leeds won this one. It should now mean that we have earned the second place spot in the league..if not first, although there is still another trip to the JJB (Wigan Warriors) and the Halliwell Jones Stadium (Warrington Wolves). We’ll just have to wait and see.

Next up for the Rhinos: Saints, at the Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield, in the Carnegie Challenge Cup Semi Final. I just cannot wait for that one!

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