Report by Cormac Nolan
Following the jubilation of a superb victory over Hull last week, the atmosphere among the travelling supporters was tinged with a hint of scepticism as Lymm prepared to take on the league leaders, Leeds, on a brisk and overcast Yorkshire afternoon.
Despite the challenge ahead, the boys were in good spirits as they made the familiar trip across the Pennines to face a Tykes side that had amassed 103 points from a possible 105 so far this season.
The line-up saw significant adjustments from the previous week, particularly along the back line, where a fresh centre partnership of Jack Reynolds and Paddy Jennings, was accompanied by a back 3 of Andy Rowley, Andy Williams, and Alfie Simpson. Absent from the trip were Cashel Chilvers and Rhys Lilly, with Josh Hadland and Ben Thompson returning to the forward pack. Lymm first XV debuts were handed to Rory Cartlidge and Sam Brown, with the latter also celebrating his 21st birthday.
The opening seconds of the game were all Lymm, with the away sides kick off being expertly claimed and recycled. However, a knock on a phase later proved to be a more accurate representation of how the game would unfold. From the resulting scrum, missed tackles and poor inside defence allowed Leeds to tear up the field and cross the whitewash for their first try of the game. 2 minutes in, 7-0.
After 10 minutes of more handling errors and lacklustre defence, a Lymm penalty offered a chance to attack in Leeds’ 22. The accurate kick to the corner from Tom Shard was followed by a well-executed lineout, but the resulting maul was adjudged to have been held up, and the opportunity was lost. The ball was moved to the Leeds left wing following the scrum, and a combination of missed tackles and good handling from the home side resulted in a score under the posts.
This score was to be the beginning of a dark 30-minute period for Lymm, who conceded multiple tries, all of a similar ilk, with mistakes in attack and the kicking game, and missed tackles in defence. Leeds looked dangerous in possession and racked up several scores during this period, with the pick of the bunch coming from a deft chip and slick handling along the touchline, underlining the quality of the side seemingly destined for promotion. However, there were some bright spots for Lymm during this period, especially in the defensive cover by the back 3 which kept out a couple of potential scores.
Half Time: LEEDS TYKES 54 – LYMM 0
Changes at half time saw Simpson move to 10, with Brown coming onto the left wing to make his debut for the club. Just 3 minutes after the restart, Simpson intercepted a pass along the Leeds backline around his own 22 and managed to make it to the opposite end of the pitch before being brought down. The ball then made its way to the supporting Lymm players before being fed to Brown, who showed off his blistering pace to score a debut try under the posts and bring a smile to the faces of the travelling support. This score seemed to spark something in Lymm, and the confidence of the side appeared to grow as the half developed.
Lymm were keeping the ball much better now and forcing mistakes from the home team that allowed some sustained pressure around the Leeds 22. Tackles were starting to stick, and the atmosphere was more upbeat as the game progressed. There were, however, some lapses in the improved second half performance, and Leeds capitalised on some Lymm errors and scored 3 good tries of their own.
A particular positive throughout the game was the set piece, especially in the scrum, where Lymm were comfortable on their own ball and caused problems for Leeds on theirs. An example of this came with 10 minutes to play where a loose ball at the back of the Leeds scrum was hacked downfield by Callum Morris. A combination of pace and a cultured left boot allowed Morris to touch down over the line with 3 Leeds players in pursuit, to set up an intriguing finish to the game. At this point, Lymm started to sniff a 4-try bonus point and there was a spring in the step of the players as they set up for the kick-off.
With 5 minutes to play, and a penalty on the Leeds 22, a scrum was chosen as the best form of attack, and some slick handling between Morris, Reynolds and Jennings saw the ball fall to Simpson arcing his run towards the corner flag 20 metres out. Two trademark steps off his right foot and he was over the line. On a weekend of late sporting excitement, would there be enough time for the all-important fourth try? Unfortunately not. From the kick-off, Leeds were able to keep the ball, and perhaps fittingly, finished the game with a score of their own. It was a tough day for Lymm, but the fact that the players stuck it out and had something to fight for all the way up to the final whistle was commendable, and will stand them in good stead for some important games in the coming weeks.
Full Time: LEEDS TYKES 78 – LYMM 17
Lymm DoR, Adam Fletcher, gave his comments after the game. “It was a pretty brutal day. We couldn’t contain their power and pace in the 1st half and got completely blown away. We rallied well in the 2nd half and showed some real character”.
Following the defeat, Lymm remain in 11th position in the table, 9 points clear of Billingham and Hull Ionians with 4 games remaining. On Saturday 23rd March, Lymm will be hoping to avenge the 47-35 defeat to Sheffield Tigers suffered in November, as they host the side currently sitting in 7th place.
Squad:
Gav Woods (128); James Pitcher* (63); Matty Hand* (103); Ben Thompson (27); James Yates* (c) (118); Josh Hadland* (34); Harry Martin (51); Oli Higginson* (259); Callum Morris (34); Tom Shard* (132); Andy Rowley* (73); Jack Reynolds (19); Paddy Jennings* (48); Andy Williams* (19); Alfie Simpson* (26). Bench – Rob Makin* (60); Jordan Widdrington* (240); Rory Cartlidge (1); Sam Brown (1); Jack Stride (8).
( ) = number of Lymm First XV League appearances
* Former Lymm Academy/M&J player
Referee: David Charlton
