With two games of the regular season remaining, the Leeds
Rhinos had their eyes firmly on second spot but knew that they needed a massive
points win over a Catalans Dragons side who are destined to finish the season in
a very disappointing ninth place in the table.
The Dragons were given a twenty-six-point start on the
coupon, the Rhinos loss of the in-form Jake Connor not concerning the bookmakers
who couldn’t see anything other than a comprehensive Leeds victory.
For Leeds the win was crucial, as was improving their points
difference, as depending on results over the next two weeks they could still
finish as high as second, or as low as fifth in the table.
Tommy Makinson spilled the kick-off and conceded a goal line
drop out but despite the Rhinos having a set in the Dragons ten, the defence
held strong.
A Theo Fages 40-20 on ten minutes gave the Dragons a chance
to attack the Rhinos line and they made the pressure tell with back-to-back
sets after the Rhinos got hands on the ball twice. On thirteen, the Rhinos conceded
their first try in almost three hours of play when Ugo Tison scooted from
acting half back to go over from eight metres after wrong-footing Brodie Croft.
Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet added the conversion for a surprise but not undeserved
6-0 lead.
Leeds were finding it hard going, the Dragons putting in
their best performance for many weeks.
With three minutes of the half remaining a swinging Leeds arm
gifted Aispuro-Bichet a gift of a penalty goal to extend the lead to 8-0, the
Dragons taking the advantage into the break.
A Luke Keary 20-40 and a couple of tackles into the set the
Rhinos stole the ball illegally, Aispuro-Bichet kicking the penalty goal to put
the Dragons into double figures.
Repeat offences from the dragons inside their own twenty was
finally too much for referee Smith who sent Romain Navarette to the sin-bin on
fifty-six. Leeds were laying siege to the Catalans line but there was some
respite when Morgan Gannon spilled the ball with the line begging. The Rhinos still
ten adrift and starting to panic.
On sixty-three the old man Ryan Hall finally got the Rhinos
on the board as he leapt to take a pinpoint Brodie Croft kick to the corner,
land in goal, and ground. Lachie Miller was wide with his conversion attempt, Leeds
back within six.
Gannon spilled the ball a metre short of the line on sixty-nine
as Leeds pushed for the equalising try, Leeds were the only team in the game,
the Dragons running on empty but still holding the lead.
On a rare foray into the Leeds half Kery went for a drop
goal which came back off the upright, wasn’t collected by Miller under the
tackle from the kicker, the ball bouncing into goal to be grounded by Julian
Bousquet. The video referee was consulted who gave the try and when
Aispuro-Bichet added the conversion the visitors had a 16-4 lead.
With three minutes remaining Brodie Croft found a gap in the
defence to jog in for a try but Miller missed a simple conversion as he rushed
to kick, the coaches head in his hands.
This was a sensational defensive effort from the Catalans
Dragons who took their rare chances when they came for a famous and most
unexpected win. It was a potentially damaging loss for the Rhinos who could now
conceivably slip to fifth in the table. It will certainly serve as a wake-up
call for Brad Arthurs men, but Leeds looked like a weaker side without the
presence of Jake Connor.
Leeds Rhinos: Miller (G 0/2), Hall (T), Newman, Simpson, Hankinson,
Croft (T), Sinfield, Jenkins, O’Connor, Oledzki, Gannon, McDonnell, Palasia. Subs:
Watkins, Lisone, Bentley, Holroyd. 18th Man: Ackers.
Catalans Dragons: Aispuro-Bichet (G 4/4), Makinson, Cotric,
Smith, Yaha, Keary, Fages, Dezaria, Tison (T), Navarrete (SB on 56), Sims,
Soronen, Garcia. Subs: Bousquet (T), Satae, Séguier, Zénon. 18th
Man: Rougé.
Half-Time: 0-8.
Full-Time: 8-16.
Score Progression: 0-4, 0-6, 0-8 : HT: 0-10, (SB), 4-10, 4-14, 4-16, 8-16 :FT.
Lead Exchanges: Catalans.
Referee: Jack Smith.
