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Leeds Rhinos: Rhinos clinch it the hard way
Coaches talk endlessly about performance, but sometimes it's only the result that counts and Leeds Rhinos' 20-12 victory over Huddersfield Giants was a perfect example of that.
Rhinos did it tough. It was an ugly performance for the most part and, in the opening 40 minutes, they weren't much better than woeful. But from staring down the barrel, they found a way to win.
When Giants led 12-0 just a couple of minutes into the second half, if Rhinos' season wasn't exactly in tatters, it was certainly looking poorly.
But effort and dogged determination paid off as Rhinos clawed their way back, eventually scoring 14 unanswered points in the final 10 minutes to squeeze home.
There was one try in the first half, but no quality at all. As the sun beat down, both sides played like it was mid-winter, with the ball squirting around in alarming fashion and straight-forward kicks and passes going to ground.
David Hodgson's 12th touchdown of the season, on 34 minutes, established a 6-0 interval lead for Huddersfield, who went into the game knowing that a first win at Headingley Carnegie since 1960 would take them second in the table.
The winger managed not to drop Kevin Brown's pass and namesake Brett tagged on the goal.
That was more than a dire period of rugby deserved, though both teams bombed easy chances.
Giants should have got over the line twice in the opening 10 minutes, but Martin Aspinwall fumbled Brown's pass, then Shaun Lunt burst clear, but Brent Webb made a crucial tackle and the ball went to ground.
Rhinos winger Scott Donald had a nightmare, twice squandering what seemed a certain try.
First he knocked on Lee Smith's pass with a clear run to the line, then in the final seconds of the half Donald ran on to Smith's kick, but dropped the ball over the line.
Prop Luke Burgess was also culpable, failing to take an admittedly-poor pass from Rob Burrow a few metres out.
Giants doubled their lead two minutes into the second half, Brown crossing from a pass by Brett Hodgson, who also converted.
But – typical of the game – Paul Jackson helped the re-start to go dead to concede a drop out.
A Burrow kick forced another and following that, Kevin Sinfield, Burrow and Webb worked the ball to Keith Senior, he surged to the line and then slipped out an offload to teenage winger Kallum Watkins, who did well to make the catch and fall over the line, Sinfield landing a magnificent touchline goal.
Giants had one good chance after that – David Hodgson intercepting Jamie Jones-Buchanan's pass only to be brilliantly chased down by Webb, assisted by Donald – but for the most part the final half an hour was dominated by Leeds as the visitors made a steady series of errors.
For much of that time, it looked like it wasn't to be Rhinos' day as chance after chance went begging.
Giants defended very well, but Rhinos' finishing and decision-makingwas poor.
Burrow failed to make the most of a three-man overlap and was denied by Brett Hodgson, Senior hurled the ball past Watkins into touch and then Jones-Buchanan stormed over from a pass by makeshift loose-forward Matt Diskin, only to crash into a post.
With 11 minutes left, Ali Lauitiiti and Webb sent Burrow dashing away, but Jamahl Lolesi made a try-saving tackle.
Referee Thierry Alibert opted against both a penalty and yellow card when the defender took his time getting off, but then pinned Giants for offside and weight of pressure told as Kylie Leuluai displayed great strength to power over from Sinfield's pass.
The skipper converted, then kicked Rhinos ahead with a 72nd-minute penalty after David Faiumu held down Webb.
Back-to-back penalties gave Giants one last opportunity, but Watkins read the situation perfectly, intercepting Brett Hodgson's pass to scorch almost the length of the field. Sinfield's goal completed the scoring.
Those final 10 minutes could be pivotal to Rhinos' season. It was certainly a good effort to win the game, against high-flying opposition, after playing as poorly as they did before the break.
Stand-off Danny McGuire's absence, on England duty, was a factor in Rhinos' disjointed performance, though Sinfield took a grip on the game in the second half, never stopped prompting and landed some pressure goal kicks.
Webb had a fine game and Leuluai was a big influence for Rhinos, who lost the penalty count 7-6.
Watkins came in for Ryan Hall, who was unavailable due to his Test debut. Simon Worrall made his first appearance of the season off the substitutes' bench and Burrow and Jones-Buchanan both worked hard on their return from injury.
There was also a decent effort from sub Ashley Gibson, playing in the pack.
Leeds Rhinos: Webb, Donald, Smith, Senior, Watkins, Sinfield, Burrow, Leuluai, Buderus, Bailey, Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Diskin. Subs (all used) Lauitiiti, Burgess, Gibson, Worrall.
Huddersfield Giants: B Hodgson, Aspinwall, Lolesi, Whatuira, D Hodgson, Brown, Robinson, Griffin, Lunt, Mason, Wild, Raleigh, Mossop. Subs (all used) Fulton, Jackson, Faiumu, Sculthorpe.
Referee: Thierry Alibert (Toulouse).
Attendance: 14,934.
Ends
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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