Win + 4 try BP = job done
Leeds Tykes were given a hard fight on their way to winning the first Yorkshire derby of the season against close neighbours, Otley. A win with a four-try bonus point means it was job done, although, at times, not in the prettiest ways.
The first half was played in windy conditions that assisted the Cross Green outfit to some extent. In the early minutes, the away side enjoyed plenty of possession but could not get past Otley’s 10m line. When the opposition reached the Tykes’ half, Joe Rowntree converted a penalty awarded as the visitors were off-side.
Ewan Laughton opened the Leeds’ try account when he broke off a maul following a catch and drive from a line-out. James Watts’ conversion was successful. The half-backs added to their tallies when the Tykes won a scrum against the head close to the try line; Laughton dived over when the ball came out the back. Watts added the extras.
Leeds attacked again from the restart with the forwards and backs keeping the ball alive with some good handling. Ben Turpin side-stepped a defender to touch down. Watts converted.
When Leeds were off-side, Otley took a quick tap penalty. It appeared be the wrong decision as the away side got hold of the ball. Otley quickly rescued it and Eddie Crossland crossed the line. Rowntree converted. He added three more points from the tee a few minutes later.
The Tykes’s game unravelled slightly after the break; handling errors and what had been a dominant scrum struggled. Otley went ahead when Crossland scored to set up a simple conversion for Rowntree.
Neither team dominated for the next 10 minutes until Tom Williams made a break, racing up the pitch before passing to Turpin. James Magee won the race to score Leeds’ bonus-point try.
The last quarter of the match was a stalemate; both sides’ defence held strong, both sides attacked. Scrums for knock-ons and penalty kicks to touch were awarded to each team. The final penalty of the game was awarded to Leeds who tapped the ball out. The referee immediately signalled the end of the match.
After the match, Director of Rugby, Pete Seabourne said: “Otley is a tough place to come, especially so early in the season. It’s job done: 5 points, 4 tries. We’re far from our best: we looked clunky in attack. […] We need to sharpen up in attack. We looked strong in defence. We move on to next week.”
