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25/04/08 |
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New Craven Park
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Richard Silverwood
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Leeds Rhinos
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22 - 36
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Despite looking the better side for the majority of the game, the
Robins lost out to the extra class of reigning champions Leeds Rhinos.
And to add insult to injury, they also lost half-back James Webster to
what appeared to be a serious-looking wrist injury.
Coming off the back of two confidence-boosting wins against the
Bradford Bulls, and Workington in the Challenge Cup, the Robins lined
up against reigning Super League and World Club Challenge champions
Leeds Rhinos. Rovers were able to welcome back Shaun Briscoe, Mick
Vella and Clint Newton after they were rested for the trip to
Workington.
At an electric Craven Park, the Robins started well, repelling three
repeat sets on their own line before applying some pressure of their
own on the Leeds line, only to spill the ball twice in promising
positions. But their confidence wasn’t dented, as the Red and Whites
forced their own repeat sets on the Rhinos line and made it count. Ben
Fisher had been stopped within millimetres of the whitewash, but from
dummy half, a superbly disguised ball from Paul Cooke sent David Mills
walking in under the posts.
Cooke slotted over the conversion, and things could have got even
better for the Robins in the next set. A good short ball from Cooke
sent Stanley Gene charging clear, he found the supporting James
Webster, but his return pass went to ground and the chance was lost.
More worryingly though, was the sight of Webster leaving the pitch
holding his wrist. Things got worse shortly after, as the Rhinos pulled
level through Brent Webb, who was put over by Matt Diskin, and Kevin
Sinfield’s conversion.
Even without James Webster’s influence, the Robins were looking like
the better team, and as half time approached, they hit the front again.
Another three repeat sets on the Leeds line was beginning to take its
toll on the Rhinos, but they had to make do with just two points as
Luke Burgess was pulled up for a second high tackle of the first half.
Cooke slotted over the two points, and within five minutes he was doing
the same again, this time after Sinfield was penalised for interference.
It appeared that Rovers would be going into the break in the lead, but
on the second tackle after the restart, the ball went to ground and the
Rhinos took full advantage. Rob Burrow’s dummy opened up a gap in the
Robins defence, and his pace took him through it. Sinfield’s conversion
was the final act of the half, and as the Red and Whites jogged into
the dressing room, they will have been wondering how they weren’t in
the lead.
Half-Time: Hull Kingston Rovers 10 Leeds Rhinos 12
The Robins had been mugged in the dying stages of the first half, and
before they knew what had happened, they were fourteen points down.
Within the first ten minutes of the second half, Kylie Leuluai’s power
and Rob Burrow’s speed had caught Rovers cold. Craven Park was stunned
into silence, but the Robins were soon back on the front foot.
Replacement half-back Scott Murrell went on an arcing run, before using
his strength to hold off three would-be tacklers and touch down.
Cooke tagged on the extras to signal that the momentum had swung back
the Robins way, and the Red and Whites began to lay siege to the Leeds
line. The Leeds defence was holding, as Clint Newton and Kirk Netherton
were halted within touching distance of the try line, but eventually
the breakthrough came. On the last tackle it appeared that the Robins
had taken the wrong option as Ben Galea was closed down. His offload
found Scott Murrell under pressure, but his inch-perfect chip to the
corner was fumbled under pressure by Lee Smith and Peter Fox touched
down.
Cooke was on target with the touchline conversion to cut the gap to
only two points, only for the Robins to fall for another sucker punch
with thirteen minutes to go. In only their second visit to the Rovers
quarter in the half, Keith Senior’s got through a hole and his strength
took him over. Sinfield added the extras from the touchline, before the
Red and Whites went back on the attack as they looked to cut the gap
again.
They posed problems for the Rhinos, forcing repeat sets and making the
Leeds defence work overtime. But once again Leeds broke away and this
time Matt Diskin profited as he went over from dummy half. Sinfield
added the extras with only three minutes left, but there was still time
for the Robins to force another three goal-line restarts and for Ben
Galea to be held up over the line. However no points were forthcoming,
and the Rhinos held on to take the points, despite being beaten in
almost all of the stats except the one that counts – the scoreboard. |
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| Briscoe, Fox, J. Webster, Cockayne, Fitzhenry, Cooke, J. Webster,
Vella, Fisher, Mills, Newton, Gene, Galea, Crossman, Lovegrove, K.
Netherton, Murrell, Watts, Steel. |
Ablett, Allan, Jones-Bishop, Burgess, Burrow, Diskin, Donald, Kaye, Leuluai, McGuire, Peacock, Scruton, Senior,
Sinfield, Smith, Tansey, Watkins, Webb, Worrall. |
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