Moseley 32-42 Leeds

[observer]

Moseley (20) 32
Tries: Hunt, Reay, Carter, Maltman
Con: Hughes 3
Pen: Hughes 2

Leeds Carnegie (21) 42
Tries: Palma-Newport, Walker, Davis 2, G Ford, Rowan
Con: Bell 6

[watcher]

Another poor start -going with the (slight) wind) and (slight!) slope as well! Giving a side like Leeds 14 points with only 3 in return with those elements initially in your favour is asking for trouble. And we got it. It was just too good to pull bakc against a rapidly improving side.

The Leeds payers looked bigger and stronger than I recall up in Headingly and were very strong in the tackle and physical contact. However they also made a number of handling errors in the backs. We shouldn't also forget that this is a team which has the same number of wins as the league leaders and one which has clearly improved since last we met them as successive results have demonstrated.

However I thought we looked dangerous and more lively with the ball in hand but there was always the threat that if we messed up Leeds would capitalise on it with some of their speedy backs. Apparently they were a bit concerned by the number of points we scored which meant their defence was not performing as it should - or we are just good in attack.

Disappointing result but a bit predictable even after our win at Welsh last week.

[kingsheathlad]

Agree Watcher our tackling was poor in the first half but we showed spirit in getting it back to within a point at HT. The second half was frustrating. When we got into their half we seemed to either knock on or get penalised and then we ended up back deep in our own half. Their backs looked far quicker than ours,but we started to get some momentum in the forwards and to get four tries showed great spirit as we could have dropped our heads and ended up losing heavily. Another tough game on Saturday with Rotherham having lost two on the trot they will be gunning to get back on track.
Come on Mose.

[welshexile1963]

After the last 2 home matches at least this time the boys fought hard so well done for that boys. We could have won this match.

[observer]

Leeds Website match report:
www.leedscarnegie.co.uk/rugby/18391.php

[nev2214]

On the whole a pretty fair report from Leeds, although not sure who richard de la harpe is or if brad hunt got 2 tries.

Thought we played well and were very committed in attack. I thought we were okay in the lineout but missed Dan sandersons height. Was concerned that the majority of their tries came through the 9/10 channel and ended up under the post with easy conversions to follow. A superb display from glynn hughes and solid performances from the rest of the team. Good to see andy reay back giving another great performance culminating another try.

No disgrace in losing so competitively to a well funded ex-premiership team.

Superb effort, keep it up.

[rickroyce]

Unlike you kingsheathlad, I did not see much "momentum in the forwards" though I may have missed what you were alluding to. What I saw, in front of the stand was us going backwards every time we tried to go off the fringes, simply because they were a well drilled team (presumably fully professional?) and given enough time they were always in place to defend against standard moves.

It seemed to me that we ran rings round them when the play was open, when we got quick ball and they didn't have time to get back into their defensive positions.

Despite the score I felt that our lads did very well indeed in holding their forwards - all driving mauls were halted at base before they had time to start and we contested the scrums well after a dodgy start against a bigger and heavier pack. Shame about the two or three lineouts that we lost (I wonder why Chevvy couldn't get down to the ground on one occasion when we won it - could he have been prevented from doing so by Leeds forwards I wonder!)

The particular incidents that stand out for me were the brilliant breaks by De la Harpe, especially on our own line, our try that Oh so nearly was, and their two tries through two missed tackles on each occasion in the first quarter. They broke my heart - but they didn't break the team's heart and I thought the climb back was superb. Four trys against that team was brilliant.

The Leeds fans near me were pretty nauseating, and a chant of "up down, up down!" seemed odd and mystifying on the day and ironic overall since that team is 'up down, up down' from the Championship to the Premiership and back again like a tar..... - well, you know what it's like!

I'm still mystified as to why they did not float along at the top of the League all season on their Golden Parachute even without Neil Back, but it looks as if they'll be there at the end, though personally I'd like to see someone else go up for a change.

[rogerhildreth]

One good reason why Chevvy couldn't get down to the ground......he wasn't playing!!

[Steve@Mose]

Post match report:

RFU Championship: Moseley 32 Leeds Carnegie 42

[studleyken]

A good game to watch. The lads never stopped trying, did not know when they were beat. If we could have kept their 10 quiet it may have been a different result. Lets hope they can keep this sort of mind set up in the play-offs. If they can we will stay up. Well done lads.
Come on you Mooooose.

[rickroyce]

Oh Dear rogerhildreth - sorry about that! Someone in a skull cap who looked like him was stuck up there!

[John]

I really enjoyed the game on Saturday despite the final result. Had we played like that in the munster and scottish games, the new folk that attended those games would definetly be coming back for more.

[Steve@Mose]

Mail match report:

Moseley 32 Leeds42

[kingsheathlad]

Greg king's eye socket injury not good news.
Hope you can make a full recovery and can get back playing.

[observer]

Dazzling Ford inspires Leeds – Yorkshire Post report
www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/moseley_32_leeds_carnegie_42_dazzling_ford_inspires_leeds_1_4118786