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Match report: Leeds Rhinos v Hull KR
Kallum Watkins scores his second try for Leeds Rhinos against Hull KR.
Skipper Kevin Sinfield got a win on his 400th Leeds Rhinos appearance, but for once he was overshadowed as Kallum Watkins’ brilliant second half hat-trick pulled the game from the fire.
The Stobart Super League champions trailed 12-10 and were in danger of their first opening game defeat since 2000 when Watkins went over for his opening try with 23 minutes left.
The England Knights centre, playing his first competitive game since aggravating a knee injury in the Carnegie Challenge Cup final last August, crossed again five minutes later and completed his treble to finally end Rovers’ resistance on 74.
The contest was actually tighter than the scoreline suggests, Leeds scoring six tries to Rovers’ four. Sinfield landed five goals for the hosts, but Michael Dobson missed all his kicks.
For the first match of the season, it was a thrilling affair with the action flowing from end to end, as illustrated by seven goal-line drop-outs, four of them forced by Leeds.
The penalty count went 12-5 in Rhinos’ favour and the visitors were warned on a couple of occasions for offences around the play-the-ball, the most costly directly leading to Rhinos’ important third try.
Rovers’ four tries all came down Leeds’ right side, two of them scored by Graeme Horne from acting-half as the defence went to sleep. That’s obviously an area Rhinos need to fix up, but there was plenty for the Leeds fans to enthuse over.
Apart from two particularly bad defensive lapses, Leeds tackled strongly. Brett Delaney had a huge game in the back-row, alongside Carl Ablett and Zak Hardaker also had a strong game on the left-side
Delaney scored Rhinos’ opening try of the season, after five minutes. Ablett sent Brent Webb into space and he found Rob Burrow in support. Shannon McDonnell made the tackle, but Hull KR conceded a penalty, followed by two knock-ons and then another penalty, Delaney powering over from the tap.
Burrow started at hooker, with Ablett at loose-forward. Chris Clarkson and Richard Moore were omitted from the initial 19, but Darrell Griffin came off the bench mid-way through the first half to make his competitive Leeds debut.
Possession
Sinfield failed to convert and Rovers were level almost immediately, after Watkins lost possession in the set from the re-start.
That was a soft try to concede as Horne – one of six new signings in the visitors’ line-up – threw a dummy close to the line and burrowed through a big gap from acting-half.
Michael Dobson’s lively running and clever kicking game almost set the platform for a second try when his half-back partner Scott Murrell grubbered through, but knocked on as he tried to regather a metre out.
Rhinos had to do some desperate defending, particularly after Webb knocked on near his own line and then the ball was stolen from Craig Hall as he almost forced his way over.
But after a poor Dobson kick ran dead to lift the siege, Rhinos – lifted by Kylie Leuluai’s introduction off the bench – struck on the counter-attack.
McGuire’s kick forced a drop-out, after McDonnell was caught napping and then a foul on Ablett conceded a penalty.
On the final tackle of the resulting set McGuire stabbed a low kick in-goal, the defence hesitated and Webb dived through to make a brave touchdown at their feet, Sinfield adding the extras.
There wasn’t much wrong with Rovers’ defence for the rest of the half as they held out against waves of Rhinos’ pressure before also striking on the counter-attack.
Murrell produced a sensational try-saving tackle to drag Burrow down just short on the last tackle after three successive sets in the visitors’ 20, then in the next set Craig Hall hoisted a huge up and under which bounced just short of the dead ball line and rebounded to Webb, who was trapped in goal.
Dobson made a break from the kick and though Webb stood his ground to make a try-saving tackle Leeds were caught snoozing for a second time in the game as Horne again went over from acting-half, in a repeat of his earlier score.
That was another poor try to concede and Rovers’ defence showed how it should be done five minutes to the second half when replacement hooker Paul McShane got over the line from dummy-half, but was shoved out.
Rovers received a penalty in the next set and though the kick failed to find touch, McGuire knocked on, Rhinos were penalised again and from that Dobson and McDonnell linked to send Kirk Yeaman over.
Ryan Hall almost got over at the corner for Leeds before Watkins’ try-saving tackle kept Welham out at the other end.
Try-saver turned scorer soon afterwards, on the hour, the big centre finishing brilliantly from McGuire’s pass after he had been fed by Weller Hauraki, though the decision might have been handed on – to check for an obstruction by the stand-off – if the video referee system had been in operation.
Sinfield goaled and five minutes later Watkins struck again out of nothing, powering over from Ablett’s pass as Leeds worked the blindside, the conversion giving the champions breathing space at 22-12.
Leeds almost wrapped it up with 11 minutes left when Sinfield aimed a kick at the foot of a post, but McGuire just failed to gather the rebound.
Moments later David Hodgson got the visitors back in the game, crashing over at the corner from Welham’s pass after Rhinos failed to deal with Dobson’s kick, but Watkins showed great footwork and strength to force his way over soon afterwards and McGuire crossed from Leuluai’s offload, Sinfield converting both.
The champions suffered an injury scare mid-way through the second half when Jamie Jones-Buchanan had to be helped off the field, though he did later warm-up on pitch side.
Rhinos’ groundstaff did a fantastic job to get the game on. It was in doubt less than 90 minutes before kick-off, due to concerns the South Stand side of the field was frozen under the covers.
The go-ahead was finally given after a long inspection involving the match officials and representatives of both clubs. The covers stayed in place until 7.50pm before being removed in a spectacular operation involving groundstaff and lower grade players.
Leeds Rhinos: Webb, R Hall, Hardaker, Watkins, L Smith, Sinfield, McGuire, Bailey, Burrow, Peacock, Jones-Buchanan, Delaney, Ablett. Leuluai, McShane, Hauraki, Griffin.
Hull KR: McDonnell, C Hall, Welham, Webster, D Hodgson, Murrell, Dobson, Clinton, Withers, Paea, Horne, Mika, Lovegrove. Subs (all used) J Hodgson, Taylor, Cox, Wheeldon.
Referee: Phil Bentham (Warrington).
Attendance: 15,343.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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Comments
There are 3 comments to this article
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sparky2806
Monday, February 6, 2012 at 08:35 AMWhen did Kirk Yeaman come on the field? Doesnt he play for Hull?
leeds deb
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 02:17 PMHave I missed it. read it 3 times. What was the final score?
darrenvarley1@yahoo.com
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 09:02 AMNot much of a match report without a final score.
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