That Was The Week That Was
Some thinking to do ...
By The Haxmeister
February 21 2011
Leeds remain bottom of the Aviva Premiership after a harrowing afternoon at Vicarage Road. Any visit to a team lying second in the league is never going to be easy, but recent events at LS6 did nothing to help the team’s preparation.
Any hopes of springing a surprise were blown away in the first 8 minutes.
Leeds kicked off and Sarries cleared to touch on half way. Leeds won the ball, but dropped it. The ref played advantage, Sarries kicked into the Leeds 22, and although Hinton did well to keep the ball in field, his clearing kick was charged down, and Tagicakibau won the race to touch down. Goode converted, and things got worse.
Hinton again sliced a kick directly to touch, and Leeds conceded two penalties which Sarries decided to kick to touch. There were still only 8 minutes on the clock, and from the resulting pressure, Brad Barritt crossed out on the right hand side. Another conversion, and at 14 points to nil we waited for the avalanche. The visitors had hardly touched the ball, and were under pressure in their own 22, and two more kicks directly to touch did nothing to help the cause.
Leeds won a penalty on 19 minutes, but Jarvis screwed his kick wide, and 4 minutes later Goode added another three points to increase the hosts lead.
When Leeds did get the ball, they found numerous ways to give it back and for once the line out wasn’t working. Leeds was conceding penalties across the park, and from another one Goode increased his teams lead on the half hour mark. Eventually Leeds came more into the game, and started to attack with more purpose, but just when it seemed they would go in for their lemons having weathered the initial battering, Jarvis threw out a wild pass, and from 60 yards James Short intercepted and sped to the whitewash. Goode added the extras, and a half time score of Sarries 27 Leeds 0 told its own story.
The second half started as the first, with Sarries camped in the visitors 22, and only a knock on prevented the fourth try. However they didn’t have to wait long, before Wigglesworth picked up from the base of a ruck, shot through a gap to score and Sarries had 5 points in the bag.
The second half followed the pattern of the first, when Leeds got the ball they dropped it, and most of the play was in Leeds half of the field. The only significance of the next 20 minutes or so was the raft of substitutions by both sides, and worryingly for Leeds, Marco Wentzel, (who apparently has a bakery close to the ground), limped off.
The embarrassment was complete just before the end,, when Chris Wyles went on a mazy run from 30 yards out. It took him across the field, and then through the middle of some shocking attempts at tackling and ended with him crossing close enough for Goode to add on the extras.
A poor performance, even allowing for the events which unfolded throughout the week.
Few players stood out, although as usual, MacDonald, Thomson and Fourie worked tirelessly for little reward. The champers this week is only a small bottle, to represent the overall display, but I’ll give it to Alfie To’oala, who tackled hard all afternoon, and did make ground when he got the ball.
The good news is that we are no worse off than we were on Friday regarding the league position. Next Sunday has taken on gigantic significance now, and if Leeds is to claim victory they will need top play much better than they did today. At least we know they can.
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Suffering on the Leeds and Yorkshire roller-coaster since 2001
Quote:Timofe
As has been said, we could have scored points from kicks in front of the post, but that wouldn't have won us the game, so some credit has to go to the team for continuing to play instead of taking the easy option.
Zandra YaPoI
YaPoI - Yorkshire and Proud of It
'proficiscor in una'
Miserati - and Proud to be!
As Timofe has said points could have been had but the lads opted to continue to try and win the game. All credit to them.
Also taking a positive slant, a small group of "lemonheads" outshouted and outsung the local support. Imagine what 10000 would do. So, lets raise the roof on Sunday and let the absentee fans in Newcastle hear the noise from Leeds. Marching on together!
For The Saracens,
For The Saracens,
Stand Up,
ad infinitum!
I can still hear it echoing in my tiny head!! In fact, here is the link to it on You Tube!
">Annoying Racket!
Arghhhhhhhhh!
Zandra YaPoI
YaPoI - Yorkshire and Proud of It
'proficiscor in una'
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:02:22:13:53:34 by Zandra LaPoI.
There has to be a limit to what is allowable on this site. Would you therefore kindly remove Zandra's last post as it pains me to say that no human should be subjected to that racket, as we were for a solid two hours on Sunday. I am still taking the pills to relieve the pressure and headache caused to me on Sunday.
Thank you in anticipation.
Our Dear Moderator is having a well earned lie-down somewhere, and, as I am only a snivelling deputy, I do not feel able to acceed to your request. My best advice is not to click the link, in order to save your soul.
Kind Regards
Kim's Dep
Waiting for the good times ...
..and waiting ....
... and waiting ...
Suffering on the Leeds and Yorkshire roller-coaster since 2001
Some say he has a Tykes flag with team signatures on.
Others say that he's doing the same to the Carnegie flag,
All we know is that he's called Leeds carnegie signed flag.