Leeds Tykes set up a thrilling winner-takes-all, final-day showdown against
Northampton next Saturday with an impressive bonus-point victory over Gloucester
at Headingley.
Winston Stanley's two first-half tries were backed up by scores from number
eight Alix Popham and a breakaway from Scotland fly-half Gordon Ross to leapfrog
the Tykes over Leicester and level with the Saints in fourth place on 58
points.
The two sides face off at Franklins Gardens next weekend knowing victory for
either ensures automatic qualification for the Heineken Cup.
It is an enthralling finale to what has been a memorable campaign for the
Tykes.
A key figure in their progress this year, having finished bottom last season,
has been the departing Braam van Straaten.
Though his place-kicking was wayward - he missed two penalties and two
conversions - van Straaten proved again why the Springboks were anxious to
resign him in time for the World Cup.
Instead he will head across the Pennines to Sale Sharks, and the Tykes will
miss him.
Today, he even displayed a rare eye for the gap as Leeds translated their
early dominance into the opening try for Stanley.
Gloucester, missing seven first-choice starters, looked a shadow of the side
that has romped to claim top spot and automatic qualification for the Zurich
Premiership championship decider at Twickenham.
Leeds began the more dangerous of the two sides and, with their impervious
defence exemplified by stunning hits from Tom Palmer, George Harder and Popham,
retained all the momentum.
Van Straaten gave Leeds a third-minute lead after Gloucester, under the cosh
from an attack founded on quick ball and clever hands, eventually conceded a
penalty at the breakdown.
Gloucester, through stand-in fly-half Simon Amor, looked to claw their way
back and though the England Sevens skipper landed a penalty and set off on a
couple of fleet-footed breaks, his side made little imprint on Leeds.
Van Straaten almost broke through the line as Leeds turned defence into attack
and accepted a second penalty in front of the posts.
Two minutes later, with Gloucester pinned back in their own 22 by a raking
clearance from van Straaten, Leeds broke through.
Gloucester struggled at the lineout throughout the first period and a poor
throw from Chris Collins allowed Leeds the turnover and when van Straaten ran
the angle to create the overlap, Stanley was on hand waiting for a
perfectly-timed pass.
Headingley was buzzing, Gloucester were reeling and within seven minutes Leeds
had carved open the Premiership's stingiest defence once again.
Full-back Chris Catling was caught in his own 22, Leeds won possession and
George Harder ran laterally until a floated ball found Chris Murphy with Stanley
on the overlap outside. Van Straaten's conversion made it 18-3.
Amor, whose speed of pass and nimble footwork made him Gloucester's one
outstanding player, landed another penalty but Leeds' 12-point advantage at the
interval - preserved by a try-saving tackle from Diego Albanese on Tom Beim just
on the whistle - was fully deserved.
They were shaky on the restart, van Straaten missing successive penalties
while Amor slotted over his third to reduce the deficit.
But Leeds remained in the ascendancy and a pack drilled by director of rugby
and former Wales lock Phil Davies came up trumps, driving Popham over in the
corner.
The missed conversion for van Straaten - another touchline job - was of little
concern when Scotland fly-half Ross pounced on a mix-up between Amor and his
scrum-half Clive Stuart-Smith to run over unopposed.
It was the first time this season Leeds' had scored four tries in a
Premiership match this season and though substitute Henry Paul and Darren
O'Leary ran in a late consolation scores to earn Gloucester a bonus of their
own, Leeds had secured a memorable five-point win and set up what promises to be
a thrilling tie at Northampton next Saturday.
Teams
Leeds: Albanese, Harder, Davies, van Straaten, Stanley, Ross,
Dickens, Shelley, Regan, Kerr, C. Murphy, Palmer, Mather, Hyde,
Popham.
Replacements: Wring, Rawlinson, Fea'unati, Campbell, Hegarty, Hall,
Emmerson.
Tries: Stanley 2, Popham, Ross.
Cons: van Straaten 2.
Pens: van Straaten 2.
Gloucester: Catling, O'Leary, Fanolua, Todd, Beim, Amor,
Stuart-Smith, Roncero, Collins, Molloy, Pearce, Fidler, Buxton,
Narraway, Paramore.
Replacements: Gomarsall, Paul, Delport, Caves, Eustace, Deacon,
Vickery.
Sin Bin: Fanolua (46).
Tries: Paul, O'Leary.
Cons: Amor 2.
Pens: Amor 3.
Att: 6,088
Ref: Tony Spreadbury (RFU).
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