Match report 20 December

Tykes topple Titans in thrilling Yorkshire derby

Leeds Tykes produced a committed and disciplined performance to secure an impressive and crucial 19-18 victory over league leaders Rotherham Titans in a gripping Yorkshire derby at AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium.

Leeds started the contest with purpose and intensity, dominating territory and possession in the opening stages. Eddie Crossland’s excellent kicking repeatedly pinned Rotherham deep, and it took nearly half an hour for the visitors to establish any meaningful foothold inside the home side’s half. A succession of penalties was awarded as the Tykes forced errors through sustained pressure.

The breakthrough arrived when Albert Bradshaw reacted quickest to a turnover in Rotherham’s half, scooping up the loose ball to score in the corner. Although Seremaia Bai Turagabeci was unable to convert, Leeds’ control continued. A rare mistake at the restart allowed Rotherham to reply with a penalty, but Leeds responded immediately when Bradshaw crossed again after Rotherham spilled the restart, this time converted by Turagabeci to give the hosts a 12-3 advantage.

Rotherham closed the gap before the break, with Luke Cole grounding in the corner following a line-out drive, leaving Leeds 12-10 ahead at half-time.

The Titans emerged strongly after the interval and briefly took control. Penalties and a well-executed score from Callum Bustin, converted by Lloyd Hayes, moved the visitors into an 12-18 lead as Leeds were forced to defend for long periods.

Leeds showed resilience and composure to reclaim the initiative. On 69 minutes, sustained pressure was rewarded when Nathan Greenwood finished confidently after a well-timed pass from Sebi Krippner. Turagabeci’s conversion proved decisive.

Despite sustained pressure from the South Yorkshire side and a late sin-binning, Rotherham defended with determination and attempted to run the ball out from inside their own five-metre area before the final whistle, leaving Leeds Tykes to celebrate a well-deserved and morale-boosting Yorkshire derby win.

Speaking after the match, Director of Rugby Pete Seabourne said: “An early Christmas present! Deep down I know that has been coming for a while; that performance, the desire that we showed today, and there’s no better place to do it than at Headingley Stadium.

“The players have shown toughness and resilience over the past few weeks, and we’ve had to stick together through injuries and the like. But today, from minute one to minute eighty, we showed that desire – that we wanted it a bit more than Rotherham. They did play well and tested us at times, but the tries we scored and the effort we put in were outstanding.

“Hopefully we can get some bodies back after Christmas and kick on now and improve our league position. Merry Christmas everybody.”

Head Coach Pete Lucock added: “Obviously I am delighted with the result. I think it’s been a long time coming. Playing at Headingley is a big thing for all the boys, and they delivered a big performance.

“Our game plan going into it was to turn them as much as we could and keep the pressure on, and we definitely did that in the first half. We got the rewards for it in the second half – we just kept grinding them down. Rotherham are a massive side and a threat all over the pitch, who can turn a game at any point, but the lads stuck to the plan. That was the 80-minute performance we’ve been looking for, and it had to come against a side like the Titans.

“That’s 2025 done. Now we look forward to 2026 and hopefully we can pick up some more scalps. It’s been coming a long time.”

Number eight Eddie Brown shared his thoughts on the team’s performance: “The lads were outstanding — a lot of heart, a lot of pride, and working really hard for each other. It was good to see the pressure we put on Rotherham and the errors we forced them into. We stood up and embraced the challenge, and it was great to see.”