THE Tigers almost caused an upset when they pushed the table-topping Tykes all the way to claim a losing bonus point, when the draw and even a shock win were both on the cards right up ot the final whistle.

As it was the game finished 20-27 to Leeds, with Ian Voortman, Chris Briers and Jon Skurr cossing for the Manchester side, aided by a conversion and penalty from Phil Jones.

SEDGLEY PARK           20

LEEDS TYKES              27 

National League Division One 

IN contrast to the Tigers’ sluggish start, the Tykes began in determined mood, showing a determined, well-drilled, professional approach as befitting their full-time status to batter their way into a seven point lead in as many minutes after capitalising on Sedgley’s inability to clear their lines.

Sedgley fly-half Phil Jones put a clearance kick out on the full, giving the Tykes the throw-in at a lineout 15 metres inside the Tigers’ half and a couple of phases following a rampaging rolling maul they drove over with prop Mike McDonald getting the touchdown, converted  by Richard Vasey.

The visitors continued to pressure and on 15 minutes scrum-half Darren Edwards’ pass set up centre Jonny Hepworth who cut through the Tigers defence to go over between the posts to give Vasey another easy two-pointer to make it 0-14.

After a poor first quarter, the enforced break brought about by referee Dale Newitt being replaced by linesman Steve Lander due to a pulled muscle, and Lander in turn being replaced on the line by Tigers’ youthful kit man Steve Kay, gave the Tigers the mental and physical breather they needed, pulling five points back on 27 minutes.

Possession was won at a scrum and the ball was swung left to right by Hall and Jope and with referee Lander indicating advantage centre Ian Voortman pounced onto a well-timed pass to scythe through the Tykes defence and grab his first try of the season to reduce the deficit to nine points.

Unfortunately it took the visitors just three minutes to hit back with their third try. A lineout catch-and–drive took play close to the Tigers’ line where Vasey and Snyman combined to set winger Tom Rock free to go over in the right corner to make it 5-19 to the Yorkshiremen.

The Tigers then began to get their lineout into gear and it helped them progress downfield where they were awarded a penalty five metres from the Tykes’ line. Scrum-half Chris Leck fired out a miss-pass to centre Chris Briers whose subtle sidestep wrong-footed the Leeds’ defence and he went over between the posts to give Jones an easy two-pointer to make it 12-19 and half-time.

Sedgley emerged for the second half in meaner mood, although it was Leeds who scored the first through a Vasey penalty that made it 12-22, cancelled out by a 30-metre strike from Phil Jones.

On 67 minutes Leeds secured the four-try bonus point with a try from Snyman. After switching the point of attack several times and being held-up over the Tigers’ line, possession won at the resulting five-metre scrum was used well and a long pass found the South African who went over in the right-hand corner to put the Tykes into a 15-27 lead.

But the longer the game went on, the better Sedgley got and a superb 20-metre rolling maul following a successful lineout take was rounded off by leading try scorer Jon Skurr, who claimed his eighth touchdown of the campaign to make it 20-27 and put the Tigers into losing bonus point territory.

Sedgley then finished the stronger of the two sides, belying their part-time status and deserved at least a draw if not a surprise win, but in the end had to make do with the bonus point after pushing the title favourites all the way. 

Sedgley Director of Rugby, TIM FOURIE: “Leeds are a full-time outfit who spend a lot of money and time training to get to where they are, but we proved again today that if we all come to the party at the same time we can cause any side big problems. But far too often we invited pressure and you can’t afford to do that against a team like Leeds. 

Sedgley backs coach, ANDY NORTHEY: “Because you get so close you start to think that maybe you should have done better than you did, but we have to be realistic and we would have taken that bonus point any day. Leeds are a good side but the reason we didn’t win was not because they played that well but rather we let ourselves down and at times shot ourselves in the foot. But if the players did everything we asked of them we would win the league and we have to accept that as well as we have played these past couple of months we are not that good. At times we suffered due to the pace of the game because we are not used to playing at that level of intensity for 80 minutes and Leeds are. But we set ourselves a points target in December are achieved it, and we did the same for January and now we have achieved that, so we are where we hoped to be.”  

SEDGLEY PARK: Hall, Jope, Briers, Voortman, Craig, Jones, Leck (52 J. Albinson), Evans (45 Gazzola), Roddam (52 M. Jones), Du Plessis (67 Roberts), Fourie, Norris (56 Lloyd), Newton, Ponton, Skurr. Replacements not used: Livesey and T. Albinson. Tries: Voortman (23), Briers (38) and Skurr (68). Conversions: Jones 1. Penalties: Jones 1. 

LEEDS TYKES: Welding, Rock (48 Tuilagi), Hepworth, Snyman, Biggs, Vasey, Edwards, McDonald, Rawlinson (11 Parkes), Cusack, Hooper, Myall (73 Taele), Dunbar (64 Lock), Schusterman, Oakley. Replacements not used: McGee, Rauluni, Holtby. Tries: McDonald (7), Hepworth (14), Rock (27) and Snyman (63). Conversions: Vasey 2. Penalties: Vasey 1.