Match report 5 October

Two-try Turpin; toast of travelling Tykes

Speedster Ben Turpin continued to add to his ever-growing reputation as his brace helped the Tykes maintain their unbeaten start to the campaign, with a workman-like victory on the road.

Leeds made the trip to Teeside outfit Billingham and were made to pay for a disjointed start. Despite having the lion’s share of possession, the visitors were unable to make their territorial advantage count.

Against the run of play, the hosts opened the scoring through Number 8 Anthony Jackson on 18 minutes. Peter Evans, who was lively in attack throughout, added the simple extras.

This setback sparked Leeds into life; straight from the kick-off they wrestled the ball back, before a training ground move forced space on the edge for Ollie Williams, who crossed for his second try in as many games. James Watts added the touchline conversion to tie the scores.

With the tussle remaining tight, most of the play took place in the middle third of the artificial playing surface. Just when the first half looked to be petering out, Ben Turpin produced two textbook sprint finishes to put the visitors in command. Both of his solo efforts came within the space of three minutes and were subsequently converted by Watts. This gave the Tykes relative control of the scoreboard, something which belied their error-strewn display.

Five minutes after the restart, Leeds wrapped up maximum points as Vetaia Vasu Sukani was the beneficiary of some quick hands across the backline after the pack had hammered at the door for multiple phases without much reward. Seremaia Bai Turagabeci pulled the conversion attempt narrowly wide.

The game then hit another fragmented patch before Joseph Ross brought the home side back into contention; Jobe Roxby added the extras to bring the home support some hope.

Thankfully, from a Tykes perspective, that hope was short-lived. Scrum-half Ewan Laughton scampered over unopposed after running a fine support line; quick hands forced Billingham’s defensive line to wilt. Turagabeci tagged on the extras, giving Leeds the breathing space they needed to see the game out.

The final stages were uneventful, other than one isolated flashpoint where Joseph Evans saw yellow for a misjudged hit on Tykes’ replacement Alex Pleasants. The incident caused a melee, with both benches putting in their two penn’orth. Luckily, that was the only reportable time tensions officially boiled over, with both sides bringing the game to a civil conclusion.

Speaking after the game, standout performer Turpin said: “There were lots of positives we can take out of today, particularly in our attack. We showed snippets of what we are capable of, but our discipline and the penalty count let us down again.

“We are where we need to be at this stage of the season. However, with the talent we’ve got in the squad we know there’s much more to come from us, which is exciting.”

Director of Rugby Pete Seabourne echoed his wingers’ positive sentiments, adding: “I’m pleased with the five points as Billingham is a tough place to come and get a result. The game was played fast, particularly on a 3G pitch.

“We are still developing with each game and hope to continue getting more depth back week by week. Vetaia Vasu Sukani came in today and scored on his debut, which is promising. We’ve also made a signing this week in Charlie Hudson*, who’s an outside back to give us competition for places in an area where we’ve previously been a bit light on numbers.

“Overall, it’s another step forward ahead of a big week for the club, going into the Wharfedale game at home on Friday evening.”