Tykes sparkle after the break
Leeds Tykes could have been 3 tries to the good within the first twenty minutes of the match. Kieran Davies and Harry Jukes were thwarted by the touchline, while Pete Lucock’s effort was deemed to have been held up. It was a team effort that put the backs in the scoring positions, and it was a team effort that eventually saw the Tykes beat a determined Billingham side.
Despite the away side’s best efforts and due to the home side’s defence, and missed penalty for a tip-tackle, it was 0-0 at halftime.
The Tykes came out of the blocks at full speed at the start of the second half. Within seconds of the restart, Seremaia Bai Turagabeci, who had replaced Lucock after 30 minutes, made a lightning break. Close to the line, he passed to Eddie Brown to score his side’s first try. Turagabeci’s conversion was successful.
Minutes later, a second Turagabeci break, sent Will Hardwick running, unopposed, from inside his own half to score the Tykes’ second try.
Leeds were judged to have taken the ball over their dead-ball line. They put in a massive effort at the scrum on the 5m line and were awarded a penalty. Livewire Turagabeci quickly took the tap and go. The move came to nothing, so he sent the ball sailing between the posts for 3 points.
The table toppers enjoyed a period of possession in their opposition’s 22. They crept closer and closer to the line. Hardwick took the ball out of a maul to score between the posts. Turagabeci added the extras.
Billingham received two yellow cards for a series of penalties. Leeds spent time building the pressure in and around Billingham’s 5m line. The play went from side to side. Eddie Brown scored his second and his team’s fourth try from a push over scrum. Turagabeci scored the conversion.
The Teeside team refused to bow to pressure and enjoyed the last minutes of the match. Joe Ross scored two tries, with Peter Evens converting the second one just as the heavens opened and the referee signalled the end of the match.
After the match, Pete Seabourne, Director of Rugby, said: “That was a tough win. Billingham is a tough place to come. They are a good, organised side.
“It could’ve been a different story if we’d gone in at the break 21-0. We got the response I asked for at half-time. We could’ve scored more after we put the game to bed, but we weren’t as suited to the artificial pitch as people expected.
“Overall, 9 from 9 with 9 bonus points, we can’t complain.”
Final score 12-29
(HT 0-0)
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