Goodbyeeeeeeeee…

Goodbyeee....
By Stevie J
April 17 2006

Pity poor Leeds. Much will have already been said about their now relegation to ND1 by those far more eloquent than me. I will simply say that the Leeds team I watched and enjoyed on Saturday were much more entertaining than half of those teams above them in the table.

Their play always looked dangerous, if verging often on the suicidal, but for a few wrong decisions may have even beaten our beloved boys in green.

However, as many a message board poster or even nowadays a journalist has said, this is a different London Irish from those seen in the recent past. Able to win in a multitude of ways, the boys again displayed an ability to build attacks from anywhere in the field. As early as the third minute there could have been a try, had Kieran Roche been able to not throw the final pass into touch.

A good intercept of a wide passing move by Phil Murphy would eventually led to Riki putting over the first three points. Murphy was back to his immense self in this game, and it showed when he went off later in the game. The early reckoning was all London Irish, and another steal this time at the 5 metre line almost led to Tagicakabau running in a try. But a lad by the name of Tom Biggs was able to get back. From the games I have seen this season, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone quicker or more dangerous. It must be that haircut he had. On the opening day of the season he was fast, but surely not THIS fast?! Biggs’ pace would cause Irish problems for the rest of the day.

It would be Irish however to score the first try. A patient series of moves resulted in Flutey weighting a cross-field kick beautifully to Danaher on the far left touchline who touched down with relative ease. Flutey also made the touch conversion kick to make it 10-0. Leeds response would be immediate. From the kick off, a missed Flutey touch finder winds up in Leeds hands by the East stand touchline, Balshaw working the overlap well to put in Marshall, barely past the despairing tackle of Dodge. De Marigny misses his conversion to leave it 10-5.

From a Leeds attacking play near halfway came Irish’s second try. Good hustling of Marshall led to Dodge picking up and almost running the ball in himself. But these Leeds defenders are quick, and from the resulting rucks Nils Mordt showed a great deal of strength to place the ball over the line. Flutey misses the conversion (15-5). It wouldn’t be too long before Nils seems to catch his studs in the turf and goes down in some pain. It’s a great shame for the lad that after all this sevens malarkey that he injures himself barely 30 minutes into an important game, and a season ending injury at that. Get well soon Nils.

The last moment of action in the first half would come from Leeds captain Hooper stamping on Phil Murphy and getting himself, and the retaliating Magne sent off for ten minutes. Chris White endears himself to the crowd by giving the penalty Leeds way, of which nothing came. I wont stay too long on the subject of Mr White, referees have a tough job and all that, but suffice to say the crowd at the MadStad were at times infuriated with his decision making.

The second half involved a double change in the front row, Rauutenbach and Russell off for Skuse and Paice respectively. Leeds changed the largely ineffective Jones for Ross. A blast from the past, the third quarter meltdown then would occur with Leeds getting their act together and putting pressure on LI. With barely time for the halftime oranges to digest, Chris Jones muscled his way over directly in front of the posts, leaving the easy conversion for De Marigny and the scores at a close 15-12.

5 minutes on and Irish had scored under Leeds’ posts…or so we had thought. Olivier Magne, now back on with Hooper, had received the last pass and knocked on as desperate Leeds tackling forced the ball from his grasp. After the resulting scrum however, Leeds would hold on to the ball and Flutey took the kick to make it 18-12.

Flutey had another one of his mercurial moments almost ten minutes later, in a move straight out of the King Carlos variety-pack. A chip over the onrushing Leeds defence with the outside of the boot was gathered and play continued until Leguizamon was high tackled by Hooper, Flutey taking the resulting kick and putting Irish 21-12 up. Hooper, instead of learning his lesson would see red four minutes later in a variety of ways, as the touch judge brought a punching incident to Mr White’s attention. A second yellow meant a red for the Leeds captain, and the second week in a row this has happened to an Irish opponent. Surely we’re not becoming cynical in our winning ways and winding up the opposition?

But as they say in football, 10 men are often harder to break down than 11, and so it would prove in this game too. After a Leeds knock on had given Irish an advantage, Magne knocked on again under pressure to set up a Leeds try. It quickly went out to ‘that quick so-and-so’ Biggs who beat both Catt and Hodgson’s despairing tackles. A missed conversion left it, however, 21-17 to Irish.

As this breathless game continued, Irish would then create the killer blow. Tagicakabau chipping on the West Stand touchline for Delon to pick up and dot down. Flutey converts, and the game is surely now out of Leeds sight at 28-17. Oh brother. Why do I write these notes? It would take the last ten minutes but Leeds eventually, through sheer bloody mindedness and a few wrong decisions by Irish, worked an overlap for Nathan Thomas to score in the corner. The tough conversion found the uprights, but it was all over at 28-24.

Looking back a few days after the event, it amazes me we came close to losing that match. For all our first half dominance, to be only ten points up at halftime gave me that nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach you only get with London Irish. Leeds have talented players, so talented they scared the beejesus out of me on more than one occasion. However they seemed to lack an ability to control this match, either by taking their kicks or penning back Irish. And so we say farewell to a brave if flawed team of entertainers. They’ll be back quickly, even without Marshall, Snyman or possibly Bell. Of that I’m sure.

For Irish, the long season is almost over, with a trip to Squeaky’s up next in the Challenge Cup. They’ll need to up their game from this, and close out the game far earlier if a cup final is to be on all our agendas.