Tykes Star Struck?
Propping as well!?!?
By Loosehead on 15/03/2004
March 15 2004
There were so many titles that I could have used: "The Powered Cup", "Leeds Powered Off", "Leeds Power Out" etc, but at the end of the day the curse of the TV camera struck again - Leeds have only once in 3 years when shown live on TV.
But of course that is not the truth either. Sale were far too strong in the first half where the game was won and lost; the Tykes started sluggishly and never really got into the game except for around 10-15 minutes in the 2nd half.
Sale were first off the mark with a well worked try by the Sale No. 9 who broke through the Leeds midfield and set up Robinson for their first try under the sticks. With the kick Sale were 7-0 up, and after the re-start Leeds managed to get back into the game with a Goggsy penalty to make the score 7-3. But after this it was all Sale in the with 2 more tries to Sale from Fullerton and Hanley the latter of which came from a lineout deep in the Leeds half. A classic schoolboy error by Leeds where Rigney and Cardey both went for the same ball, both players collided into each other and the ball then rolled into touch. And it was from this lineout that Hanley went in at the top corner. Sale went in at half-time 25-6 - Ross having added a second penalty and even Hercus added a couple with the boot 'n' all!
The 2nd half was marginally better for Leeds. They rallied well and Scabs took 2 good tries, the second of which was a neat grubber though to pick up, but it was a case of too little too late. Sale scored 2 more tries in the second half, one from a dazzling Robinson run who went 80m and set up a second try for Hanley. Leeds added another penalty but it was to be Sale who had the last word when Sale replacement Mayor made it 33-20.
Post match analysis
Leeds were guilty of too many basic errors: forced passes, not going to hand, missing first up tackles (predominantly in the first half), struggling in the lineout, slow to the breakdown. These are the kind of things that should be second nature, all the best teams do the basics better than anyone else, and when the basics are done properly then everything else will fall into place.