LEEDS DEVELOPMENT 36

WANDERERS 33

Friendly

Chandos Park

Monday, March 12, 2007

For two sides who had to prepare themselves at short notice for this fixture both Leeds and the Wanderers looked well motivated to make an impression. They certainly used the relatively mild conditions and fast pitch to serve up an entertaining, six-try first half.

Leeds’ set-piece was dominant in the opening minutes against a virtual scratch pack that included a hooker and winger playing on the flanks. And when Jonny Hampsey’s run split the defence to set up Scott Armstrong for an 11th-minute opening try it looked to be a long night for the gold-clad visitors.

But the Wanderers gathered themselves and replied three minutes later through James Percival. And the visitors took the lead just before the half-hour when Danny Pointon’s quickly tapped penalty sent Luke Myring through to score between the sticks; reward for his sharpness during his first action in three-and-a-half months.

There was a setback with the sinbinning of Roger Ripol and the subsequent equalising Sam Stitcher try. However Leeds made a mess of the kick-off and following Dom Wareing’s run Will Harries touched down in the right corner.

Stitcher crossed for his second try on the stroke of half-time, like the first a pushover scrum. And with Tom Whitaker and Pointon’s 100 percent success rate thus far the halftime score was Leeds 21, Wanderers 21.

Leeds opened the second half brightly and after forcing a 22 drop-out they maintained the pressure for replacement Danny Paul to re-take the lead which, with Whitaker’s first miss, was five points.

But despite home territorial dominance Leeds could not score until Adam Greendale’s 59th-minute penalty. They could have had two tries though, but for Adam Barnard’s spectacular tackle on Peter Wackett and a forward pass to Jonno Marshall five minutes earlier.

Smith showed them how it was done in the 64th minute when he rewarded Chris Wyles’s mazy break, as did Matt O’Regan four minutes later. But the pendulum swung back Leeds’ way once more with Tommy McGee’s try which was where, despite late Wanderers’ running from deep and another good Wyles/Smith combination down the left wing, it stayed.

Teams:
Leeds Development – Gray (Bottomley 40mins); Wackett, Armstrong (Greendale 40mins), Burrell, Hampsey (Marshall 40+1mins); Whitaker (Gray 48mins), Rauluni; Cusack (McGee 40mins), Nilsen, Isaacson (Paul 40mins), Denton, Craig, Boyle (Lewis 59mins), Clark (Yorke 70mins), Stitcher.

Wanderers – Harries (O’Regan 40mins); Brake (Anderson 55mins), Wyles, Barnard, Smith; Myring (Lavery 31mins), Pointon; Visagie, Richmond, Laws, Percival, Lawes, Ripol (Hoadley 73mins), Wareing (Morris 55mins), Rae.

Scorers:
Leeds Development – Tries: Armstrong, Stitcher (2), Paul, McGee; Cons: Whitaker (4); Pen: Greendale.

Wanderers – Tries: Percival, Myring, Harries, Smith, O’Regan; Cons: Pointon (4).

Yellow card:
Ripol (34mins)

TIMELINE:
11mins LEEDS Try Armstrong Con Whitaker 7-0
14mins WAND Try Percival Con Pointon 7-7
28mins WAND Try Myring Con Pointon 7-14
34mins WAND Yellow card Ripol
35mins LEEDS Try Stitcher Con Whitaker 14-14
37mins WAND Try Harries Con Pointon 14-21
40+3mins LEEDS Try Stitcher Con Whitaker 21-21
HALF-TIME LEEDS 21 WANDERERS 21
48mins LEEDS Try Paul 26-21
59mins LEEDS Pen Greendale 29-21
64mins WAND Try Smith Con Pointon 29-28
68mins WAND Try O’Regan 29-33
72mins LEEDS Try McGee Con Greendale 36-33
FULL-TIME LEEDS 36 WANDERERS 33