Closer than it might first appear....

By Andy Kennedy
October 26 2006

This was being billed as a “Winner Takes All” game by the media that could be bothered to file on the game. The Rugby Times forecast a win for Donny but this was their first visit to Fortress Headingley and the Tykes weren't going to lay down and let the Knights ride roughshod over them.

What would have been a disappointing crowd last season looked fairly respectable considering the game was being played on a Saturday afternoon which would normally conflict with the games being played by local clubs.

Tykes started well and scored first through a great passage of play that saw Jonny Hepworth cut through the Donny line and score between the posts. Tykes then proceeded to let Donny off the hook by spilling simple passes that to quote Sir Geoffery Boycott “My Granny could have caught in her pinny!” This seemed to inspire Donny and theyed should the Tykes how to keep possession and scored twice before halftime and the signs were looking ominous.

A different team appeared or so it seemed for the Tykes in the 2^nd half and even though being down to 14 players after John Dunbar had been binned for showing the Donny scrumhalf his impression of tossing the caber to score a 2^nd try through a Welding intercept. Donny then had a player binned and after Jonny Hepworth was replaced through injury Tom Rock broke the Donny line and Leigh Hinton eventually scored in the corner.

With only 7 points between the teams and minutes remaining, Donny attempted to run the ball out of their own 22 but knocked on, Ian Humphries showed a cool head and playing to the whistle hacked ahead to score a vital bonus point try and seal the game.

Good points:

- Ian Humphries showed once again that the Tykes need a settled experienced No.10

- A Bonus point

- the teams commitment to play entertaining rugby.

Bad Points:

- The number of dropped passes when the line was beckoning

- Another poor referee and TJ combination (will the RFU ever sort it out?)

- The pack don’t appear to maul in a positive manner