Stuttering Saints Headingley Headache

By Simon Robinson
November 21 2005

The game at Headingley was touted as a must-win fixture to get Saints' season back on track. Things didn't go according to plan, however, as a spirited Leeds team claimed their first Premiership win this season, 28 - 25.

 

Bruce Reihana's on/off kicking form continued, missing three from eight. He missed a seventh minute reply to Gordon Ross's second minute opener, before Carlos Spencer's mazy run went under the posts on 12 minutes. Scoreline: 3 - 7.

 

A penalty each for Reihana and Ross notched the scores up before Jon Clarke intercepted and sent returnee from Coventry, Andy Vilk, to kick on and score. A Reihana conversion put Saints up 6 - 17 and seemingly unstoppable on 22 minutes.

 

That is, of course, until Leeds fought back with a try through Roland de Marigny, Ross converting, and another minutes later - Snyman ending a move started with a quick lineout in the Leeds half - another conversion giving the home side a 20 - 17 lead.

 

 

 

The next move was crucial, Saints needed a score before half time to even up the scoreboard. Unfortunately, Carlos Spencer decided now would be a good time to stamp on a Leeds player in the bottom of a ruck - a yellow card that could easily have been red. Another Gordon Ross penalty stretched the half-time score to 23 - 17.

 

The second half was quiet on the scoring front until Bruce pulled the margin back to three, Leeds replacement Tom Palmer went over on 65 minutes. Saints were 28 - 20 down and struggling for a bonus point from what was meant to be a "guaranteed" win.

 

Saints pushed on and scored a try through replacement Seamus Mallon, Bruce missing a touchline conversion, and then minutes later a penalty near halfway to level the match. The final score of 28 - 25 was cheered by the Leeds section of the 4,564 present and stared at in disbelief by the visiting fans.

 

Saints were bossed by former All Black scrum half Justin Marshall, he was certainly a key signing for the Tykes, and I doubt this'll be their last league win this season. It's difficult to pin down what's happening at the Gardens at the moment. This is the third league match - after Kingsholm and Vicarage Road - where Saints have scored three tries and got a losing bonus point. An additional try in each of those games would put Saints on 24 points, with five wins from eight, and third in the table.

 

Saints have also been in the lead in all of the above mentioned matches, it seems the players in the black, gold and green need to improve their defence or we may end up one stage worse off than last season.