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First loss at Leeds

Try
By Leipziger March 22 2008
So, should all of us who wanted a new coaching team have been more careful what we wished for? Two games under Steve Bates and Ian Peel, and two pretty poor performances, and the Falcons have now lost four Premiership games in a row following a first-ever defeat to Leeds at Headingley.

Leeds went ahead after just eight seconds, Lee Blackett pouncing on the kick-off and slicing through our defence unchallenged for the opening score which Alberto Di Bernardo converted.  Playing into the wind, we seemed to be playing a bit more intelligently, not kicking as much as usual, and also tending to use John Rudd and Tom May a bit more on the wings.

 

However, we were struggling to put any forward momentum together, apart from when Jonny Wilkinson battled over from a succession of scrums, although the conversion missed.

 

A penalty came on twenty minutes to put us into the lead, but with Jamie Noon and his replacement Alex Tait going off injured in the first half, eventually bringing Ollie Phillips into the fray, it was a night when little was going right.

 

Di Bernardo’s boot regained the lead for Leeds, and another penalty just before half time have the hosts a 13-8 advantage at the break.  Not insurmountable with the wind.

 

In the second half, the predictable replacements came with Jon Golding, Matt Thompson, Andy Buist and Hall Charlton taking to the field, but Leeds extended their lead with another penalty as the snow began to batter Yorkshire.  We gained a little more territory, with the Falcons front row taking the scrum to their Cardigan opponents.

 

It was following another number of reset scrums that a huge drive resulted in Carl Hayman scoring his first try for us, Wilkinson’s conversion reducing the deficit to just a point.  It would not be enough.

 

Try as we did there was no way back, Leeds attempting to keep the last few minutes tight in our 22 before we won a scrum with seconds remaining.  Coming forward, we made it just into Leeds’ half, breaking the gain line a number of times, before finally dropping and becoming consigned to another loss.

 

With six games of our season left, we are 16 points ahead of Leeds, who have a maximum of 25 points to go for.  Looking at their remaining fixtures, we are pretty much safe, however, something needs to be done if we are to not be relegated next year.  And I don’t mean appoint Steve Bates as DoR.

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