By Peter Creek
March 14 2007

Occasionally during this long ND1 season the fixture list throws up a couple of games to set the pulse racing. Sunday 18th March is one such day when Tykes meet Exeter and the Titans make the long trip to Camborne.

Two Yorkshire v Southwest clashes to make your mouth water. The results of these two games will make the probable final league table much easier to call. All four teams are in a run of good form and three of them are within striking distance of the title.

 

Leeds fans do not need reminding that if they lose to Exeter and Rotherham win at Pirates then the Titans can win the league at Headingley in April. Last week Plymouth were demolished at Clifton Lane, returning to the Southwest with nothing. Will Rotherham plunder five points from the Pirates? The teams are evenly matched. More importantly the packs are evenly matched and Pirates are well equipped behind the scrum to take full advantage of their possession. This match, a great advert for ND1, is being televised so we can expect both teams to go at it from the first whistle as they perform in front of a nationwide audience.

 

Tykes fans who made the long trip to Exeter back in November came back with more memories of the superb facilities that the Devonians enjoy than of the plucky but workmanlike Chiefs team. That team contained a couple of crash-ball South Sea Island centres who wrought havoc on the Tykes defence in the first half but were well and truly sussed after the break. Exeter ran out of steam that day allowing the Tykes a comfortable win. Things have changed since then. A win at Clifton Lane alerted the rest of the division that something had changed for the Chiefs – Rotherham were nilled on their own patch! Exeter have not been beaten in 2007 with the Pirates scalp added to their belt recently. They are looking forward to their trip to Yorkshire, where their fans see no reason yet to halt their winning run.

 

Leeds go into this game on the back of a  weekend break followed by a comfortable win against Waterloo last Sunday. Stuart Lancaster has a reasonably settled side backed up by a strong bench. Inconsistency has been the side’s main issue this season but Tykes fans will take heart from the fact that they always raise their performance for the big games. If Exeter have improved since their last meeting then so have Leeds. The return of Andre Snyman to the threequarters has bolstered a Leeds defence that previously leaked points all too easily. Last weekend Waterloo did not get a sniff of the Leeds tryline.

 

What makes these games a real Mother’s Day treat is the fact that you can see both matches if you are at  Leeds as the Pirates & Titans do not clash until 4p.m. So for all you lucky mums who are at  Headingley Carnegie on Sunday expect to see a mighty game of rugby with the Tykes shading the Chiefs by five points. Then proceed to the bar and watch events unfold in Camborne where home advantage will help the Pirates sneak a win by three points.

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