It's Not How You Start. It's How You Finish....
Mr Effective!
By SoopaLeeds
November 27 2011
As a chap with a little 'un to watch over I know that you can see somebody day in and day out and not think that anything has changed, but then look back 3 months and realise that the person you see before you has moved on so much that they are utterly different from the way they used to be. The progress doesn't occur to you day in and day out, but it's there and it creeps up on you almost imperceptibly. You know where this analogy is going.....
I turned up on Friday like the rest of us wanting this to be a win first and foremost, fearing the usual scattering of mistakes and comedy passing, but also with the faint hope that on this day we would see something akin to the Bedford performance in front of 3,000 (many new) faces at home. I eagerly anticipated our backs carving up a heavy leggedRotherhamdefence and scoring at least 4 tries, I looked forward to our pack showing power and strength as they pushed their opposite numbers back, lineouts stolen, rucks dominated and scrums mastered. Well I can dream can't I?
What we saw first, it seemed at the time, was the same patchy performance up front with issues around the scrum from the very first attempt and penalties galore given away in our own half - made worse by backchat. I admit to having rubbish eyesight and the one good eye I have is not on my head, so I always moan that the ref is biased and we're the victims but in the cold light of day I have to concede that the ref is doing his job and we need to get better in so many ways. A typical start to Leeds games it seems, with us falling 3 - 9 down as a result of aforementioned issues. A late penalty in the first half gave us something to take with us into the break at 6 - 9. Another nail biting long second half awaits us I thought.
But it's not how you start, it's how you finish:Leedscame out at the start of the second half and had so much more to offer. I believe there's an enthusiasm in those younger legs and some of that (oh so rare) commodity atLeeds- confidence. Leeds were frustratingly further adrift after some of the usual missed tackles led to Roth getting through and building a 9 - 16 lead, but the game was opening up and Leeds didn't look beaten. Joe Ford is fast developing a record for drop goals and he wasn't afraid to keep having a pop (scoring 3 in a game must be a rarity in any league) andLeedswere fighting back to 12 - 16. The backs are simply so much better with the help of our 2 friends from over the hills and with the runs and kicking of Bell and the line attacks of Thornley we started to make ground and it was no injustice when the try finally came for Stevo - one of our hardest working and most effective players.Leeds made the usual flurry of changes up front in the second half with Titterell and McDonald having done really well to nullifyRotherham's powerful pack, with the equally welcome return of Danny Paul keeping the cheers coming from an increasingly expectant crowd. Joe Ford, a player who attracted a mixed reception at the start of the season, is finally showing just why he's out there in the 10 jersey with some capable kicking in open play and with a clinical eye for the drop goal he put us further in front. After a pen brought Rotherham back within touching distance it was only fitting that Bell- the metronomic kicker we've missed for years - should slot over the penalty that sealed it for us.
I walked away from that game initially thinking about how we could do so much better and really nail some teams if we stop making small mistakes and get better with the disciplinary side of things: the same thing that has occurred to me after each of our last 8 wins. Then it dawned on me. Last 8 wins. What we saw out there was a million miles from the second game of the season when the same opposition destroyed us. What we saw was a million miles from the "soft" forwards from the early games and the incoherent backs who couldn't pass or catch. Nobody was moaning about our No 9 not getting play moving, nobody was moaning about our kicking, nobody was moaning about our set pieces.....it may be evolution rather than revolution but I'm liking what I see and I really enjoyed the entertainment that the game gave us.
So - it's not how you start, but how you finish....and on that score the jury on our season is still out, but it's a point that keeps coming back to the fore when we consider both our season's progress and indeed how each match seems to progress. In her preview of the game Zandra asked the question, "will it be 7th heaven?" The answer is a bit mixed to that: yes, we won, but we do seem to do it the hard way by starting badly and getting better as things moved on. I believe there's still more to come....
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:11:30:05:39:10 by Not Willie Wildash!.
This league is wide open - with Donny having put one over Pirates yesterday, anyone can beat anyone (though possible not in Cornwall)
Another 2 tough matches coming up - lets keep winning!
We really could do with having more of a try-scoring threat though - until we are capable of regularly scoring 3+ tries in a match, we're always going to be tight situations. Unless Joe can build on the drop goal figures, five or six per game would compensate...
Still a Tyke - whatever the name!
That complete rout I predicted is coming, and who knows could it be next Sunday?
Come on Leeds!
Zandra YaPoI
YaPoI - Yorkshire and Proud of It
'proficiscor in una'
He had an injury, is that sorted now?
Up the Carnegie TYKES !
Miserati - and Proud to be!
Joe Barker has failed to impress all season for me. Bring back Wheels and it will give the back line better defence and a good platform for attack.
Suffering on the Leeds and Yorkshire roller-coaster since 2001
Up the Carnegie TYKES !
Scott Barrow hasn't looked quite the player he was a couple of years ago. I'd love to see him back to his best. Even better, I'd love to see Mackay fit and playing 12 regularly, because I think he and Thornley could do some damage. Failing that, 12 would be my top priority in the Christmas shopping.