Fighting Tykes Live to Fight One More Day
Just over 8,000 souls made their way to the Madstad on the Easter Bank holiday weekend with perfect conditions for running rugby. Seven tries, two yellow and one red card together with some fecking awesome rugby filled the eighty plus minutes and made for quality entertainment.Leeds had to travel to play London Irish for the second time this term, but with a five month lapse since an away win, they knew the battle would have to be fecking furious. Stuart Hooper, their skipper and supposed leader took the fight too far when he received his second yellow and marching orders on the hour; stupidity that wasn’t going to help the Tykes cause.
As it was, this proved to be the kick up the fecking arse the Leeds side required as heart and flair kicked in to their play. They were just not going to give this match up, and fair play to them. This attacking play and determination to chase down the lead could have reaped its rewards as the exiles clung on towards the end.
For the Irish, this was a second game when facing fourteen proved to be a fecking hard ask of them and they flattered to deceive for the twenty minutes of this power play. It appears that facing fourteen men creates an allergic reaction that needs to be treated. But it all should have been over by this time, a real mark of the Leeds Tykes want to get out of the shoite they have found themselves in.
After the opening twenty minutes, Irish looked odds on to give the relegation threaten Northerners a real fecking. The ambition shown from the start by the home side failed to make a difference to the scoreboard as chances were spurred at the business end after great work getting into the red zone.
The London Irish fat feckers were dominating the set piece with Rautenbach being welcomed back big style, but also the ageless Hatley having a big game. Russell was immense throughout especially in the loose and open paddock. Comparisons with his countryman Bulloch definitely washed in favour of Robbie.
For all the territory, the exiles failed to make the impact and put the game to bed. The Tykes, and fair play to them, battled like Yorkshire terriers to keep pace with the game, endeavour rewarded by both losing and try bonus points. They just would not lie the feck down.
Tries from impressive Danaher and Mordt in the first period had provided a ten point lead into the break after Marshall had bagged a fiver for the visitors. Mordt had to leave the field of play after twisting his knee in contact, probably a season ending fecker as well.
The defensive unit of the visitors was there for all to see as they banged in big tackles on their opposite numbers, but not in a homo way.
The ref, Chris White, provided a steady game, although his touch judges did feck all to help him. Both sides got away with quite a few infringements out of the eye of White, but in full detail in front of the touch judges.
Rawlinson, the replacement hooker for the hapless Bulloch, also got the benefit of the doubt when using his elbow as his fecking handoff tool when driving forward on Paice’s cranium. His reward, a penalty for Leeds! Still, overall White helped the game to move at great pace and provide the fans with a decent spectacle.
The second period, again, opened brightly for the home side, with the pill being slung round in an attempt to stretch the Leeds defence. Still, the try was not forthcoming as a mixture of dark arts - darker than a voodoo high priest wearing a black robe - and some friggin’ big hits denied the exiles.
Hodgson was having a fecking awesome game especially in light of his opposite scrummie, and was at the centre of everything. He was driving his fat lads forward but also releasing good ball to the Catt. The skipper was his usual self with great clearances kicks as well as his distribution.
The penalty count against Leeds started to grow quicker that a teenager’s lob-on when fingering through his latest jazz mag. This was due to the huge pressure the Irish were putting on them. Flutey punished them like a dominatrix whipping the home fans to a frenzy by kicking the penalties.
Magne, still as pissed off as a bulldog after his balls have been twatted after his yellow, was unlucky not to have claimed a try that would have put the game away. His stretch for the line resulted in him spilling the pill when attempting to control the pressure of a downwards type.
Then, Bell, a reported target for a lot of premiership clubs including London Irish, battered his way over the try line after two days of a siege in their territory to keep the game honest, and should have been a wake up call for the Irish. Bell had made his second telling contribution to this game after closing down Tagicakibau in the first half, when a try looked a certainty.
Finally, after repeated attempts on the Leeds try line, Armitage claimed yet another try this season. So much for that Wuss fecker during the week giving our lad shoite!
This should have been the launch pad to claim the win and chase down an important try bonus, but the Tykes had other ideas. Through gritted teeth, they rallied and showed more character than a Shakespeare novel.
Marshall started to come in to the game more and more, playing like a fecking extra flanker in the go forward stakes, as well as controlling the possession. Leeds just needed something to happen for them. This came in spades!
Biggs helped to keep the game close as he sprinted like a mad fecker on speed from his own 22 to claim one friggin’ hell of a score. This lad really is like shoite off a shovel when given space, and this was with fourteen men!
The old Welsh boy, Thomas, then grabbed a try, the Leeds fourth and closed the gap to four points with thirty-five seconds remaining. Thankfully, the Irish grabbed the ball from the kick off and ran the clock down.
A tough and pacy game for both sides and a result that would ultimately send the Leeds side down as the Falcons claimed five points over an under strength Sale side.
Leeds showed real strength of character and a great edge in attack. This type of game they played should have been their norm as they would not be in this mess as more games would have been won. They were one feck of a hard nut to crack on the day, but to be fair, Irish did allow them to be in touch.
Best of luck to the Yorkshire side in ND1. If they can keep the majority of this fine young attacking unit, they will bounce back. The vultures, however, will start to pick at the bones of this squad.
London Irish: Armitage; Ojo, Mordt, Catt (capt), Tagicakibau; Flutey, Hodgson; Hatley, Russell, Rautenbach; Casey, Roche; Danaher, Magne, Murphy.
Replacements: Skuse, Paice, Strudwick, Dawson, Leguizamon, Edwards, Geraghty.
-- Master Scribe