Leeds Tykes claimed their first win of the new Zurich Premiership season with
victory over local rivals Rotherham Titans at Headingley.
In the first ever meeting of the two Yorkshire clubs in the Premiership, Leeds
stormed home thanks to tries from Ryan Walker, Matt Cardey and Liam Botham, all
three players notching their first scores for the club.
The victory ends a run of three successive Premiership defeats for Leeds
stretching back to last season and leaves Rotherham rooted to the bottom of the
table.
Rotherham had won five of the previous six league clashes between the two
sides and they got off to a flying start with Phil Jones slotting home a brace
of penalties to put the visitors 6-0 ahead after 10 minutes.
Fly-half Jones, a former rugby league player, was making his full debut for
the Titans following his switch from Orrell.
Leeds were not down for long though and they made their first mark on the
scoreboard when Duncan Hodge fired over a penalty.
The Tykes' fly-half then missed with a second penalty from the halfway line
but made no mistake when he was handed another chance soon after, tying the
score at 6-6 with a pinpoint effort from near the touchline.
Good breaks by Botham and winger Phil Christophers livened up the home crowd
as Leeds took control after conceding the early momentum to their visitors.
The Tykes' dominance eventually led to Titans substitute Russell Earnshaw
being sin-binned soon after arriving on the pitch.
Leeds made the most of their numerical advantage to take the lead for the
first time with on-loan Natal Sharks scrum-half Walker squeezing over for a
debut try following good recycled ball.
Hodge added the conversion to give the Tykes a well-deserved 13-6 half-time
lead.
The second half began with Hodge wasting a straightforward chance to increase
the lead when he fluffed a close-range penalty but Leeds fans need not have
worried as full-back Cardey was soon racing over for the Tykes' second try of
the night.
Cardey made the most of an overlap on the right to dart in for his first try
in Leeds colours.
Hodge missed the conversion but despite that Leeds had a healthy advantage at
18-6 and there was no way back for Rotherham.
With 15 minutes to go Botham joined Cardey and Walker in notching his maiden
try for Leeds to put the hosts 23-6 in front, Hodge again missing his
conversion.
Rotherham grabbed a late score through full-back Jon Benson which was
converted by Jones but it was too late to prevent their local rivals celebrating
a vital win.
Teams
Leeds: Cardey, Rees, Scarbrough, Botham, Christophers, Hodge,
Walker, Powell, Rawlinson, Holt, Morgan, Hooper, Ponton, Hyde,
Rigney.
Replacements: Cusack, Millard, Salter, Hogg, M. Chester, Davies,
Walsh.
Tries: Walker, Cardey, Botham.
Cons: Hodge.
Pens: Hodge 2.
Rotherham: Benson, Elliott, Ewens, Jorgensen, Wood, Jones,
Raulini, Lloyd, Johnson, Loader, Cook, Gross, Greeff, Spence,
Lewis.
Replacements: Smyth, Jelley, Bunting, Earnshaw, Short, Harrison,
Pritchard.
Tries: Benson.
Cons: Jones.
Pens: Jones 2.
Att: 4,842
Ref: Dave Pearson (England).
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