The further I advance through life, the more I realise that there are more questions than answers. Who is this Lee chap that the Headingly crowd keep chanting for? Why is Spreaders so unremittingly cheerful (both on & off pitch)? Why are full backs not genetically modified to have ample bosoms? Why do tough-as-tykes have a hairy hamster as their mascot (surely not linked to the Super Furry Animals – they’re Welsh)?

In a match befitting a venue used for both rugby codes, at times both teams appeared to be playing a la Rugby League with players strung out in a lat line across the pitch and the tackling from both sides was very solid. This resulted in defences being very much on top. Both teams also made a pleasing habit of running the ball with LI spinning the ball wide as much as possible. This was fortunate as we were losing the kicking duels – Ross getting far more distance on his kicks than Tofty. Scrums appeared even, lineouts going mainly with the throw.

The first half hour resulted in stalemate with both defences on top. Leeds preferred tactic of the kick over the top for the right winger (Scarborough) to run onto was all too easy for an astute defensive winger like Bish. There were occasional breeches of the defences - a charging run by Big Bob here, a half-break by Snyman there but all the time the tackling was getting sharper with even Tofty doing his fair share. In one passage of play, Horak nailed Scarborough when he was in a dangerous position and then Dec flattened another Leeds player while receiving a very stiff handoff in the face. And all the time Awesome was charging round the pitch knocking people over for fun. Meanwhile O’Sheas was continually making good yardage with his characteristic pick up & drives. 

Just as we were starting to ponder the notion of a literally pointless game, the scoreboard operator was called into action. After 35 mins Ross finally put over a pen having already missed a couple of reasonable opportunities. The key to this score was a clearance kick by Tofty from our 22 line which failed to make touch and was drilled back by Ross to within 5 yards of our line. From the lineout and a couple of phases of play, we infringed at a ruck almost straight in front of the posts (3-0).

Our response was almost immediate and a sequence of attacks down the right produced a penalty within 15 metres of the touchline. Tofty produced a cracking kick to level the score (3-3).

HT: Leeds 3 LI 3

At half time, the Gozs made short work of the opposition in John Bentley’s ‘catch the bomb’ competition. In particular Claire’s natural assets provided a soft cushioning for the descending ball which makes me wonder whether this should be the shape for future full backs. This being ooop north, male supremacy has to reign in such situations, and this was duly achieved by the kicker ensuring that the ball descended far away from Mrs Goz’s starting position. Never mind, beer tokens won for the third year in a row.

The second half began with Leeds retaking the lead. A pen against us for coming in from the side of a ruck enabled Ross to add to his tally (6-3). All this did was to make us crank up the pace and after 52 mins we scored an excellently worked try.

A scrum midway between the Leeds 22 & the half way line wide on the right saw KD burst down the blind side before slipping a pass to Sacks cutting back inside. Sacks did not make much ground but we quickly recycled the ball and moved it swiftly along the backs to Strudel out on the left wing. Geoff still had plenty to do but showed excellent pace and power to touchdown in the corner. Tofty again superbly nailed the kick from out wide (6-10).

LI were now starting to get in the ascendancy and on 58 mins, following an infringement at the breakdown, Tofty’s pen from the left unluckily came back off the post. We were starting to open up now and our adventure nearly brought our downfall in the 64^th min as Snyman burst through our defence from his own half only for a superb tackle by Delon (on for Mike H) and then by Sacks to halt the break. However KD killed the ball at the breakdown enabling Ross to kick an easy pen right in front of the posts (9-10).

With only 1 point between the sides, this looked like being another nail-biting finish, and so it was time for Barry to enter the fray (for Tofty). His first kick missed touch but thereafter there was a reassuring length to his kicks – no sign of hamstring problems here. However it was now Leeds turn to pile on the pressure. An attempted long lineout throw by Naka on our 22 missed everyone and was picked up by Leeds. The ball was worked across the pitch to Scarborough and only desperate scrambling cover defence rescued the situation after Leeds obligingly knocked on just short of the line. Then on 70 mins Ross missed a pen from out on the right touchline as LI were apparently pinged for breaking off early from a scrum.

Realising that this was a let off, we took the game to Leeds and on 77 mins, after a bout of good LI pressure involving working the ball both left and right, Barry kicked a sweet drop goal from the left hand side of the posts (9-13). Leeds came straight back at us and from a dangerous attacking position on our 22, one of our players intercepted the ball as it was spun along the flat Leeds backs. I suspect it was a forward because instead of running for the Leeds goal, they put in a long kick to the edge of the Leeds 22. Sacks hared after it and forced the Leeds cover to knock-on. From the ensuing scrum, we produced classic controlled forward play to enable Barry to drop his second goal. The forwards made 4 or 5 short sharp drives to move the ball to the middle of the pitch. Barry was standing very close to the breakdown and had the Leeds defence almost in his face. Although it was not the sweetest connection he has ever made, the ball wobbled over the posts and frankly we did not care about its artistic merit. It was effectively game over!

FT: Leeds 9 LI 16

This was another hard fought and narrow win away from the MadStad. Wins in these circumstances are usually due to the overall resilience and spirit of the whole team rather than individual brilliance. Honourable mentions however need to go to Doug Wheatley for his energy in the loose, Studders & Big Bob for showing what an excellent combo they are, & O’Sheas for providing another classic display of no. 8 play. In the backs, Strudel had an excellent match with crunching hits and took his try opportunity with aplomb while Delon’s 20 min cameo at full back had several experienced Leeds fans making covetous enquiries about him. For Leeds, Snyman made a couple of impressive breaks and Christophers always looked dangerous.

However this match was tailor-made for the return of Awesome. His first significant acts were to give away 2 pens which we can ascribe to over-eagerness. Thereafter he was back to his dynamic best, seemingly involved in the heart of everything and tackling heroically. Being Kieron, he was fortunate to escape a carding for killing the ball but he even found time to exchange blows with that professional wind-up merchant Mark Regan. Although he went off after receiving a heavy blow to his knee, he was confidently predicting post-match that it would soon clear.

Good to have you back KD.

Stats:

Leeds Tykes: M Cardey, D Scarbrough, P Christophers, A Snyman, D Albanese, G Ross, A Dickens, M Shelley, M Regan, G Kerr, S Hooper, T Palmer (captain), S Morgan, J Ponton, C Rigney.

London Irish: M Horak (rep: D Armitage, 60), P Sackey, G Appleford, R Hoadley, J Bishop, M Mapletoft (rep: B Everitt, 64), D Edwards, N Hatley, N Drotske (rep: A Flavin, 73), D Wheatley (rep: A Halsey, 7-11), R Strudwick (captain), B Casey, D Danaher (rep: P Gustard, 55), K Dawson (rep: K Roche, 82), C Sheasby.

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