Match report 30 November

Dogged defence and superior scrummaging are match-winners

Leeds Tykes survived a late surge from a good Fylde outfit to hang on for a valuable 5 points on the road,

The Tykes’ promotion push derailed on this ground at the end of last season. This campaign they knew they would be up against a team who are very strong at home and had to put out a re-jigged side. However, The Tykes didn’t disappoint those who braved the increasingly cold wind with a performance full of character and guts that could have gone against them on another day.

Leeds got off to the worst possible start. Conceding a penalty that Fylde kicked to the corner followed by a textbook catch and drive that let David Fairbrother open the scoring nearly under the posts. Patrick Bishop’s conversion was successful.

Tykes hadn’t touched the ball yet but when they did they tried to go through some phases and create pressure. There were lots of knock-ons by both teams but straight from the first scrum you knew the game would be won or lost with a game strewn with errors at times.

Leeds’ scrummage was far superior; causing collapse after collapse and penalty after penalty. The referee was losing patience and gave 2 yellow cards to Fylde forwards for repeated infringements. The latter in the sixteenth minute also made Sir award a penalty try, which everyone in the ground knew had to come due to the away side’s scrum dominance.

Some good disciplined defence followed and when Tykes were awarded another penalty for holding on. A kick to the corner and, as with the host’s first try, a good catch and drive from the line out with Aarin Yorke at the back who controlled the drive and touched down to put his side in the lead for the first time.

More solid defence followed and while Fylde were happy spinning the ball and looking for gaps, Leeds’ defence again held firm causing more knock-ons and scrum dominance. Tykes repelled a couple of close attacks on their line leading up to half-time till Sir blew the whistle to end the first half.

The wind picked up in the second half and the air became much cooler. Fylde came out of blocks quickest and, once the ref. had put a pea back in his whistle, they maintained the pressure. While the Tykes were penalised twice the quick-thinking Michael Walton tapped and went, and was grounded but no one was on him so he placed the ball down, got up, picked it up, and strolled over the line. Quick thinking but the Tykes were caught napping. Bishop converted.

Almost straight away they were through again; a hopeful kick-through on a knock-on advantage and they were clear but Sir brought it back for offside. The Tykes knew they were up against it now and the best form of defence is attack. They immediately got on the front foot. Leeds’ scrum was still dominant and repeated penalties resulted in Fylde’s third yellow of the afternoon. Tykes opted to scrum again and drove over; Eddie Brown was the grateful try scorer.

Fylde came again but didn’t really gain much ground due to strong defensive sets. A few more Leeds’ penalties awarded got them downfield, another dominant scrum and the ball was shipped wide. Pete Lucock, making his first appearance of the season, was out on the wing in acres of space to dot the ball down for the bonus point try.

Fylde never gave up and went on the offensive again. This time they made good yards and caused Leeds to be penalised. With 2 scores behind and 3 minutes left on the clock, Bishop slotted a penalty.

They came back straight away. A now-tired Leeds team out on their feet gave a penalty away. Fylde kicked to the corner. They set up the catch and drive. Brilliant defence from Leeds held the ball up for a Tykes scrum. With the on-field clock on zero, unbelievably Leeds were penalised at their own scrum. It seemed cruel; the most dominant, destructive part of the game was nearly to be their undoing. Fylde aimed another kick to the corner but during the catch and drive, they knocked-on. Yet another scrum! The clock was deep in the red as the Tykes controlled the scrum and kicked the ball dead. A proper nail-biter of a match saw the Tykes running out 17-22 winners.

Fylde can count themselves unlucky to only have 1 bonus point to show for their efforts but the character guts and determination of this Tykes team will take some beating; the scrum was immense and Fylde couldn’t come to terms with it. The defence was heroic in parts, it was a gutsy 5-point win on the road and at the end of the season we can look back on this game a lot differently than last season’s as those 5 points could be crucial, and judging by the response of players after the game they know how important they could be.

After the match, Director of Rugby, Pete Seabourne said: “The players have shown some real character there; to come into the game and get 5 points is a fantastic achievement against a very good Fylde team.”