Newly-promoted Leeds brought mighty Bath to their knees at Headingley on Sunday afternoon
afternoon with one of the most stunning upsets in Premiership history.
Scotland flanker Cameron Mather crossed for the all-important try two minutes
after the interval and though Bath responded with a devastating late assault on
the home line, Leeds' defence proved their equal.
The west country outfit could scarcely believe what had happened as they slunk
off at the end, but Leeds thoroughly deserved their victory against opponents
who never overcame their initial complacency and had neither the skill, nor
strength to overcome the Premiership new-boys.
The Tykes' Premiership campaign did not get off to the best of starts, with
England international Tom Palmer failing to collect Rob Thirlby's kick-off,
which left John Mallett to pick up the loose ball and drive towards the home
line.
Bath could not force the opening, but those opening few seconds set the tone
for the whole first period. Yet, despite failing to secure any line-out ball of
note, being constantly driven off their own possession and twice finding their
lack of pace exposed in attack when breakaway tries went begging, Leeds trooped
off at half-time to a standing ovation with the scores locked at 3-3.
Parity owed almost everything to a herculean tackling effort from the Leeds
side, with former All Black fly-half Stephen Bachop turning the Bath backs round
with a mixture of deft chip kicks and deep punts downfield.
Full-back Jon Benson notched Leeds' first Premiership points with a
seventh-minute penalty and should have extended his side's lead further when he
hit the post with an easier chance midway through the half. Isaac Feau'nati was
causing problems for a lethargic Bath outfit with his ferocious charges from
number eight, while wing duo Craig Emmerson and Dan Scarborough were coming off
the touchline, looking for work in defence and attack.
Tipped as likely candidates to end Leicester's grip on the title, Bath were
generally sloppy in their approach work and appeared to be taking the task too
lightly.
Even the departure of Leeds prop Justin Wring to the sin-bin yielded the
visitors just three points, Thirlby levelling with a comfortable 20-metre effort
after he had previously failed from long range.
If the biggest crowd in Leeds' nine-year history had been delighted with the
first half effort, they were sent into delerium within seconds of the restart.
Tom Voyce - switched from wing to full-back during the interval - hopelessly
misjudged Bachop's steepling kick close to his own line and succeeded only in
patting the ball straight into the path of Cameron Mather, who barely broke his
stride to collect and dive over.
Benson converted and Bath were forced into an urgent rethink. The arrival
of Lions second-row Danny Grewcock as a second half replacement had done little
to effect a change of fortune and such was the visitors' apparent desperation,
Thirlby was ordered to go for goal with a 20-metre penalty shot.
Leeds were having no more success at the set-piece but Bath were equally
barren in the ideas department. Benson struck a post for a second time for the
Yorkshire outfit, but Bath could not take advantage.
They failed to secure possession at their own line-out throw on the Leeds
line, then Thirlby could not find the target with a simple 35-metre chance in
front of the posts.
James Ponton ploughed Simon Danielli into touch as Bath piled on the pressure
with the game entering injury-time and even though a string of decisions went
against them in the four minutes of added time, Leeds magnificently held firm.
Teams
Leeds: Shelley, Holt, Wring, C. Murphy,
Palmer, Mather, Ponton,
Fea'unati, Fea'unati, Benton, Bachop, Emmerson, Woof, Mayer,
Scarborough, Benson, Kerr.
Replacements: Hogg for Mather (74), Davies for Fea'unati (75),
Kerr for Fea'unati (26), O'Reilly for Mayer (73),
Fea'unati for Kerr (33).
Not Used: Luffman, Clarke, Le Bas.
Sin Bin: Wring (22).
Tries: Mather.
Cons: Benson.
Pens: Benson.
Bath: D. Barnes, Long, Mallett, Gabey, Borthwick, Beattie,
El Abd, Lyle, Cooper, Perry, Danielli, Cox, Maggs, Voyce,
Thirlby.
Replacements: Emms for D. Barnes (78), Grewcock for Gabey (48),
N. Thomas for El Abd (50).
Not Used: Williams, Regan, Bellinger, Crockett.
Pens: Thirlby 2.
Att: 5,181
Ref: Roy Maybank (RFU).
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