A Narrow but deserved victory.

Leos 3s arrived in good spirits to take on a youthful West Park team on a sunny day at the Crag. We were bolstered by a few of the 4s, so we had 18 or so players and we needed all of them.

West Park apparently did not have any front row so a slightly irritated Leos pack started the game with unopposed scrums. In truth the home side dwelt on this for too long which meant we were virtually asleep for the first 20 mins of the game. The much more eager visitors took the game to Leos and from constantly getting to the breakdown quicker scored 2 unconverted tries to lead 10 – 0. They at this point deserved their lead.

After some fairly strong words from some of the senior players, your scribe included, to WAKE UP and get in the game Leos slowly began to respond. The forwards worked a bit harder and the backs finally got some ball. By now Al had come on in the centres showing good feet to evade tacklers once he had remembered his catching hands ! Blakey and Jamie Tweds tried to set the rest of the backs free with the returning Ritchie Edgar running well from 15. The reliable Billy on the wing tidied up the long clearing kicks well catching everything that came his way. Jamie Young sniped well from 9 but Leos could not quite find the pass or gap to score.

Halftime arrived and at least we were now competing properly. The words were to stick at it and keep up the work rate.
The second half was very competitive. W Park ran well in the backs when they won ball with their centres making the odd break past a startled Lovers. By now Al was on one wing, and Paul Malone was our other winger, running very strongly and making ground. From a lineout and drive from the back row Nathan supported well and a sweeping move saw Leos come very close to scoring. J P Ashton was to the fore in this drive making good hard yards. Quick recycling and simple hands put Paul Malone in for a well deserved try out wide. Blakey kicked a superb conversion and it was suddenly a 3 point game.

Park kept coming and got close to scoring a couple of times themselves but dropped the final pass or lost the ball in contact. In 1 of their attacks Jamies Tweds flew up to try and grab an interception. He failed to howls of anguish from his centre partner. The rotund centre then used up his entire lung capacity in steaming back to just about stop some young scamp of a winger. The forwards arrived and the danger was averted but only just.

The Leos forwards were by now playing well with Cadgey coordinating rolling mauls well. The ageless Hairy got stuck in and Ben Clements, Cranfield and Macklin all took the ball up , putting Park on the back foot. The game was there to be won by Leos but still we could not get the score to go into the lead. Leos lost Malone to injury. We also lost the unfortunate Jake Kapper to a recurring shoulder injury so Jamie Young came back on at 9 . JP gamely went onto the wing in place of Paul, and was just as effective leading several charges into the heart of the visitors defence. Following his lead Al also made good ground linking well with the surging Edgar who was having a storming game at 15.
A double tackle in midfield saw Tweds stop the man and a tiring Lovers steal the ball. Once again we attacked but were stopped by determined defence as time looked to be running out with Park still holding that narrow 3 point lead. Your scribe took a rest to be replaced by Capell paying in his 4th position of the day. Blakey called a favourite DSM move, after quick ball from the forwards, which was executed perfectly by all the backs. Al burst onto the final pass to score a fantastic try out wide. Blakey missed the extras so Leos now led 12 – 10. Park had one last chance to win the game when they won a penalty in the Leos half.

Inexplicably they chose not to try and take the 3 points which would have seen them win 13 -12. Instead they tapped and ran right into Cadgey who delighted in smashing their ball carrier extremely hard !
Finally the whistle went on a very close game with Leos holding on to win 12 – 10.

This was a truly satisfying win, one of our best efforts of the season particularly as we had been almost comatose for the 1st quarter ! and 10 -0 down to a younger and fitter side.

Man of the match was JP Ashton for a rugged 2nd half effort which saw him work tirelessly both with ball in hand and in defence.

Score

Leos 12 – West Park 10

Tries

Malone, Al.

Con

Blakey.

Team

Cadge, Capell, Macklin, John, Gopichandran, Pinder, Cranfield, Clements, Haire, Kapper, Young, Blakey, Lovers, Tweddle J, Malone, Adam, Al, Edgar, Chris Jayne.

Leos RUFC

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