Leos welcomed league leaders North Ribblesdale to The Crag on saturday,together with their band of travelling supporters.Ribb are enjoying their best season for several seasons, having lost just four matches and arrived with their full strength, experienced team, containing seasoned players Spensley,Thwaite,Stubbs,Dugdale and Kirkbride.

Leos have been playing better than one or two narrow defeats might suggest and were also at virtual full strength,fieding one of their larger packs of recent years, with a reshaped back row of Chesters,Haslam and Lane. On a glorious, but cold spring afternoon, the pitch was still very soft, despite the efforts of Twickenham grounds man Keith Kent on Friday afternoon.

Leos opened very confidently, with the forwards winning quick ball and the backs swiftly transferring from left to right and back again, but Liu was unable to squeeze in at the corner.Ribb secured their first possession, with Warwick putting in an early crunching tackle on centre Topham,before Ribb gained momentum down the left, before Liu released the pressure, when marking a towering kick from Moon.

Ribb enjoyed an early nudge at the scrum, but Lane was coolly handling the pressure at the base of the scrum, with Fforde and Freear dominant at the lineout. There was little space in midfield, with neither side missing tackles and the respective open sides, putting the fly half's under pressure.

The visitors opened the scoring on 15mins with a straight forward penalty from 20m,but the home side came back and after four drives had been held just short, by the well structured defence,Freear Senior, levelled the score with a Johnny Wilkinson esque drop goal - Dan Eddie would have been proud.

There was little to chose between the sides, but Leos looked more dangerous with ball in hand, through the drives of Lane, Chester and Robinson, yet the Rib back row didn't look like being breached. It was the same in the backs, where Knibbs punched holes, without making a clear break - possibly down to his new white boots - and Liu enjoyed a little space wide out, but any gaps were quickly closed.

The deadlock was broken on 35mins,when a Baker breakout, was supported by Robinson and Chesters,leading to a Leos penalty for Ribb not releasing, which Freear converted, to give a half time score of 6 - 3.

Coaches Greenwood and Rock, were pleased with the first half efforts, but underlined the necessity to maintain the intensity for the full 80mins.Defences were on top,so rare chances needed to be taken,but Greenwood was confident,that the younger more athletic Leos forwards,would gradually take control.

Leos were encouraged,when an early Freear/Winter combination put linking fullback Bindloss clear and Lane broke devastatingly from a scrum,but a scoring pass was adjudged forward.A terrific long,misout pass from Freear put Liu away on one of his numerous runs,but yet again the Ribb back row got over to make a try saving tackle.

The momentum appeared to be with Leos,but Chapman was a dangerous runner and Dakin/Kirkbride had their moments.Leos could rely on the accurate throwing of McIntosh to win their own ball,while young Freear was able to secure a couple of important steals.

Against the run of play,the visitors had a chance to level the scores on 65mins,but the 35m penalty went just wide.Leos surged back into the Ribb half,with strong drives from props Warwick and Robinson,with Wood releasing quick ball to his threequaters,with both Haslam and Chesters always in close support.On 65mins,Fforde stole a lineout 40m out,a lovely soft,short ball from Knibbs was put Winter through a rare gap.The centre danced around the full back,to score a magnificent try under the sticks,to jubilant shouts from the large crowd.With Freear adding the conversion,Leos were two scores clear at 13 - 3.

As expected,the league leaders came back strongly,even running the ball from their own 22 and Warwick,McIntosh and Wood,were all forced into important tackles,but Leos were able to keep their line in tact,to earn a deserved victory by 13 - 3.

The game was a credit to Yorks 2 rugby,well refereed and played at an intensity,but in good spirit.Ribb remain league leaders and favourites for promotion,due to their consistancy over the season,but on the day,Leos were more than able to match them.This was only achieved by a truely 18 man squad effort,with every player contributing an important part.The forwards had to match their experienced opponents,Lane had to handle difficult ball at the back of the scrum,even Fforde and Freear actually listened to the referee,whilst the backs took the rare oppourtunities which came their way.Congratulations to both sides on an excellent and enjoyable game of rugby.

In the Clubhouse,Leos coach Greenwood,renewed acquaintancies with former Ribb coach Nash,whilst former Leo,Buswell,who was dispatched to Settle,some 15yrs ago,to carry out much needed Missionary work,made a rare return to Leeds and spent the afternoon discussing the Leos defeat to Ribb in the Yorks Shield semi final some 30yrs ago,with former players Skirrow,Levitt etc and anyone else who would listen.With the 2 XV also enjoying a victory over the same opponents,an enjoyable couple of hours were spent,before our visitors boarded their coach,for the drinking dens of North Yorkshire.

Congratulations to both sets of players and supporters and we wish Ribb success in their promotion drive.Next week,Leos make the short trip to Bramhope,where a former West Park player has already suggested a comfortable home win.Hmmm well on this Leos performance they will be in for a surprise!!

The Leos man of the match award was the hardest decision to be made this season as the performance of the entire team was heroic and there were many superb individual performances.

There were ultimately 10 contenders for the award. Props Dave Robinson and John Warwick who gave a tremendously strong platform in the scrums, Second rows Nick Freear and Tin Ffforde who won significant line out and both kept their discipline by staying on the park for the full 80 minutes, Back rows James Haslam anf Lenny Lane who were in the thick of the action.

In the backs centres James Knibbs and Mark Winter showed flair and creative coupled with a majestic individual try by Mark Winter, and Neil Liu always looked dangerous with ball in hand and in addition Tom Bindloss was sound under pressure and showed some incisive breaks in to the line.

On a split decision as there can only be one winner the award was given to Tim Fforde who once more led by example won great line out ball and was in the heart of the forward action against what is a very strong North Ribblesdale pack.

Finally the chairman has expressed his pleasure at the significant volume of hits that our website has had this season and in particular the match reports which have be read from many parts of the world including our members in Australia new Zealand and the far east. To members a little nearer home like Paul Marshall in France you would have been proud of the team yesterday.

Leos scorers:Tries Winter Conversion Freear Penalties Freear Drop Goal Freear
North Ribblesdale scorers:Penalty Moon

Teams:
Leos:Bindloss,Baker,Knibbs,Winter,Liu,MattFreear,Wood,Warwick,McIntosh,Robinson,Nick Freear,Fforde,Chesters,Haslam,Lane,Connell,Barden,Burdon.

Ribblesdale:Chapman,Spensley,Moimoi,Topham,Bolland,Moon,Fox,Thwaite,
Stubbs,Newhouse,Dugdale,Clay,Carr,Dakin,Kirkbride,Knowles,Davidson,Heap