Leos 12 vs Old Rishworthians 10

Let's face it, it's been a tough few months at Leos. Over the summer, a tsunami of retirements (3), long-term injuries (4), players leaving Leeds due to work promotions/moves (3) and moves to other higher-placed local clubs to further rugby ambitions (er... 1) saw 11 of last seasons first team squad evaporate before the season had even begun.

To be frank, the unforeseen nature of many of these departures caught us a little cold .The stepping up of the majority of last year's 2nd XV to fill the breach has meant we have had to let down Merit opponents on a few occasions, and this is a matter of regret for us.

It was clear that player recruitment was urgently required, but it had to be an organic recruitment, eschewing the easier but unsustainable path of financial inducement, and avoiding entering into any Faustian Pacts. We leave those to others.

So, workmates were cajoled, students were woken, plied with beer and chauffeured (Matt Strang and Sam McMeekin following a now well-trodden path from the Leeds Medics to Leos), old favourites were talked back out of retirement (Nick "Monty" Wainwright back from building his own house, getting married and Bradford & Bingley), even the Chairman's Landlord (Matt Roberts ex Harrogate centre/wing) was approached, nagged, pleaded with and finally assimilated .Winger Rob Magill joined from Ripon, having moved into Leeds with work.

Last week, two more pieces were added to the jigsaw with Lancashire U20 Centre Tom Milner tempted by the prospect of playing alongside brother Matt. And finally Tim Heaton decided to come back to his home club in their hour of need a season earlier than intended to become a key figure in the development and running of the Club.

Our efforts have now started to bear fruit, and we now have a new cohort of Leos who, on Saturday's showing, offer a glimpse of Browning's "Glad, confident morning" again.

Saturday arrived, therefore, with optimism in the air. The only cloud on the horizon being the prospect of facing a resurgent Old Rishworthians team featuring several ex-pro Rugby League stars and a coterie of talented and physically substantial players from the South Pacific, who have clearly decided that the prospect of flat, warm beer and the charming female companionship for which Halifax is renowned meant that the dank foothills of autumnal Pennine Yorkshire were preferable to lolling on unspoilt beaches in an island paradise.

The game started at a frenetic pace. Rish had pace aplenty in addition to a powerful physical approach and were edging the opening encounters, only desperate scrambling defence from Tom Bindloss and Sam McMeekin keeping them at bay. Gradually, however, Leos started to gel and powerful carries by Coach Hyde, Si Dowling and Skipper Chris Lewis meant that the visitors were under severe pressure in their own half. Sadly, two kickable penalties were missed, and the opportunity to capitalise on a period of dominance went with them.

Sadly, both teams then started to incur the displeasure of our exchange Match Official from Notts, Lincs and Derbyshire. A flurry of penalties broke the metre of what had promised to be an entertaining affair. The temperate Autumn air was filled with whistling on a scale reminiscent of the early acid-house raves of the early 90s. Like a forgetful husband being given the cold shoulder by the wife, the players were getting no better at conforming to what was required. The whistling was therefore augmented by the brandishing of yellow cards, and 2 Leos were soon cooling their heels on the sidelines. Rish took advantage of this and moved upfield, kicking a penalty and taking a 3-0 lead which they held until half time brought an eerie, welcome, but sadly temporary silence to the ground.

There followed a staccato 25 minutes of the second half, upon which there is no temptation to dwell.

By now, the flutter of yellow cards had become a flurry (7 were given during the game, there were Saturday afternoon shoppers in W.H.Smith who saw fewer cards). However, with 15 minutes to go, a game of rugby broke out. Leos coughed up ball just inside their own half and the pacy Rishworthian centre sped under the sticks. The conversion took the score to 10-0.

By now, Leos were functioning better than at any time this season. Centre Tom Milner was growing in confidence and feeding off the wily promptings of fly-half Monty Wainwright. In the forwards, Tim Heaton was showing why he played over 150 games of National League rugby for Harrogate, and his Herculean efforts were inspiring the likes of Si Dowling and James Akman (another ex-Medic Student) to follow suit. Replacement Prop "Lofty" Loughenbury was clinically dissecting rucks with the precision you would expect of an orthopaedic surgeon. Coach Hyde was spinning through tackles with the gambol of a 20 year-old, and Rish were being pressured into, yes, a stream of penalties and yellow cards.

However, with 78 minutes on the clock, it looked as if all had been in vain and even the paltry reward of a bonus point was to be denied us. Then, Wainwright made a clean break through the middle and Heaton appeared on his shoulder to swallow dive under the sticks. Tom Tweddle quickly drop kicked the conversion, and the Match Official indicated that we were in "last play" territory after the restart.

Collecting the ball deep in their own 22, Leos gradually worked their way upfield. Desperation was evident on both sides, penalties were awarded but had to be tapped as there was no time for lineouts. After an incredible 5 minutes, Wainwright, McMeekin, Milner and Bindloss combined to squeeze Matt Roberts in at the corner for the winning try. The conversion was missed, but the whistle was blown for the last time to prompt scenes of euphoria and desolation.

This week sees a break from League action, but this performance and the promise of yet more recruits as the renaissance gathers pace gives Leos hope for the coming weeks