Carnegie ends Year with a damp Squib
Ton up!
By Farmertyke
December 28 2011
The old adage 'it is often better to travel than to arrive' was never truer than at the Boxing Day game at Doncaster. With possibly Leeds best team on the coach a decisive away win was in the offing. ....
Indeed, Leeds started well and made what would turn out to be their best attack of the game. Mike MacDonald having reached the century in a Leeds shirt chugged into the 22, with a penalty awarded Joe Ford expertly dropped a goal. A warm glow joined the excellent cow pie and Guinness. Had Leeds discovered the elixir of rugby ?
No they had not, and neither had Doncaster. A detailed match report would test the resolve of the reader. Suffice to say both teams survived on penalties and the score ascended in threes. It was at this juncture that the score board deciding that it was not going to be needed turned it self off. It was lucky, it could, the rest of us had to endure a spectacle of wayward kicking from Ford, poor passing from Barrow and imbecilic penalties from the others. A retiring Scott Freer interfered with their scrum half and a further penalty was awarded when Leeds thought it was easier to obstruct the opposition rather than chase the ball.
Leeds had lost Danny Paul on 15 minutes with what looked like a serious Achilles injury but that made little difference at the set piece scrum where Leeds travelled in every direction but forwards.
The second half restarted with the score at 6 points apiece and the game ground on. A bored Mr Gamage eventually carded Burrows. Leeds were lucky as they all should have been carded for abuse of the game. Coach's threw on replacements but these had also lost their rugby brains in amongst the Christmas wrapping paper.
Leeds survived because Doncaster refused to kick the penalties on offer and indeed they could have snatched a victory in the last 5 minutes if the forwards and Joe Ford had shown more composure when going for a drop goal. Please Diccon show them the Munster recordings.....Will Cliff made a game saving tackle and even though the re started scoreboard showed another 40 minutes to play the very sensible Mr Gamage blew his whistle.
Some will say that Leeds defended well but I think that had more to do with Doncaster's inept attack. Too often we do not clean out with enough players resulting in lost possession or slow ball. The passing is at times inept.....what do they practice during the week ? Bristol last week brushed aside Bedford with fast aggressive rugby, something that Leeds can only dream about.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:12:30:16:27:25 by WildWillie .
Was gutted not to be able to go, but now I realize I landed on my feet this time.
Miserati - and Proud to be!
Farnmer has been kind to the rest for not naming them. It really was a dreary match from both teams who clearly had not recovered from their xmas excesses!
Next week at Headingley MUST be a better game. It couldn't be a worse display than this one.
One Donny wag on the way out suggested a draw was fair as no one on the pitch won anything.................
Ever optimistic.....................
Up the Carnegie TYKES !