Pack performance drive Tykes to edge passed rivals
Leeds Tykes cemented their position at the top of National 2 North with a hard-fought 24 – 18 victory over fellow promotion chasers Sheffield.
The hosts started rapidly and were in the faces of their South Yorkshire visitors from the off. Captain Adam Brown opened the scoring as Leeds were eventually rewarded after being camped on the line for much of the opening ten minutes. Ewan Evans set up the position with a rapid kick return; his out-of-position captain was afforded space down the wing to stretch his legs and score unopposed. Kit Keith added the conversion.
Keeping up their high-tempo start, Leeds looked destined to score again but were kept out by a combination of Sheffield’s robust defence and their own handling errors. A succession of penalties were awarded to the Tykes as they began to assert their authority at the set piece.
After stemming the tide for so long, Leeds finally prevailed through the centre channel. The rangy Jack Smith strode in from almost 25 metres. Keith added the simple conversion.
Most of the second quarter was in centre field with both sides jostling for position. Towards the end of the half, it was Leeds’ turn to show their resilience. The referee gave Sheffield a series of penalties, mainly for offside offences. In the last play of the half, the visitors were finally rewarded for their endeavours as Johnny Castleton crashed over. Elliot Fisher narrowed the gap to seven at the interval.
The first 20 minutes of the second half were nip and tuck with both sides going close but often foiled at the last minute by some misplaced passes and the referee’s whistle. Charlie Venables crossed for the Tykes third try after the ball was shipped wide from a five-metre scrum. The utility back showed great composure to arc his run back around under the posts, making Keith’s conversion easy.
Sheffield refused to go out without a fight, with Christian Hooper crossing for a try out wide as the visitors exploited the overlap with Leeds’ defence sucked in. Elliot Fisher missed with the conversion, just as Leeds’ Keith had missed with a penalty attempt moments earlier.
Nine minutes from time, Fisher landed a penalty to bring Sheffield within seven points. The Tykes went for the post themselves with three minutes to go in an attempt to send their promotion rivals home pointless. However, some poor decision-making at the breakdown gave Fisher the opportunity to show nerves of steel and snatch the losing bonus point with the last kick, which he did.
Speaking after the game, Leeds’ Director of Rugby Pete Seabourne said: “From minute one to eighty, we showed what a quality outfit we are. We are pleased with the result. Credit to Sheffield who tested us at times, but we got our reward for the hard work we put in over the past six weeks.”
Sheffield’s Head Coach Anthony Posa added: “Credit to Leeds who deserved their win, having dominated us in certain areas of the game. I’m proud of our boys for the way they kept going to take a point which hopefully keeps the competition alive at the top.”
Leeds’ flanker Matt Burke explained: ” It felt like we needed a big performance and it came at the right time. The forwards dominated and we did well to keep them out as they came back at the end.”
Commenting on his own performance, Matt said: “I was doing the nasty stuff and getting stuck in; looking for turnovers and defending as they were throwing everything at us.”
Tykes winger Ewan Evans shared: “It was nice to get my hands on the ball early to build the confidence. As a team, we played well in the first half and wore them down. In the second half we were defending and it was grit that got us through. The boys put in a shift today.”
⌛ Final score 24-18
⏳ (HT 14-7)
👈 Your Leeds Tykes scorers
ℹ️ Match centre
✍️ Thanks to Ben Cropper for our match report
A special match day tribute
Leeds Tykes were proud to welcome the Victoria Cross Trust as we honour the legacy of Victoria Cross recipients and raise awareness of the vital work this charity does.
As part of this special occasion, Keith Lumley from the Victoria Cross Trust delivered a short speech about the charity’s mission and how supporters can get involved. Learn more about the trust.
