Swings and Roundabouts in ND1
By Steve Benn
January 7 2007
The leadership of ND1 has been hot potato this year. The tightness of the leaders has made for excitement, but it can’t be good for anybody’s stress levels. We took to the field at Clifton Lane last week knowing that 2 wins from our next two games would finally put daylight between us and the rest.
We lost. Doncaster hit the heights as a result, only to fall to a narrow defeat at Goldington Road yesterday.
So – enter the next two contenders: Plymouth and Leeds. Plymouth came into this game with the best points difference in the league. Leeds with arguably the best and biggest squad on paper, but a shaky recent run of form.
The pattern and pace of the game followed the weather all day. While in the first half the daylight held and the rain stayed away, the play was entertaining and fast: when the second half brought the darkness and the rain, the game changed with it.
Kick-off on a mild and dry January afternoon saw the Tykes get the first chance of the day – a penalty attempt for Leigh Hinton which was within his range but, sadly, Leigh was unable to make the Albion pay as he dragged his kick to the right of the posts. Leeds, however, continued to enjoy some possession in the backs and things looked good for us, that is until big Andre fell in the tackle and spilled the ball. I can see why Nic Sestaret has been so effective for Plymouth all season, as he accepted the loose ball from Genoud on the sideline and put his head down to break over 50 metres, before a neat offload in the tackle from Hepworth put Fisilau through for the first try of the game.
Although we were behind, I still thought we had the ability to get back. The conversion attempt was hooked well adrift and at 0-5 there was so much more to come, I felt. Sure, there was a fair smattering of fumbles in positions where we could have scored, but we are used to that nowadays. The Tykes justified my optimism by continuing to push forward, with Darren Edwards distributing the ball very quickly and the forwards taking on their full share of the hard work. Rewards were going to come, and when Schuey broke through two men after good work from Andy Rock to score Tykes first try after a quarter of an hour, I felt this was going to be our game to lose. The successful conversion put us in front 7 - 5, and from here there was going to be more joy. I won’t harp on about our choices of how and when to kick – I’ve saved that for the second half – but it’s worth pointing out that on a mudbath we refuse to kick tactically, and on a good surface we choose to kick all the time. This is something we need to rectify sooner rather than later.
Back to the game, and Pele Taelu showed us that he can do more with his long arms than just take opponents heads off, as he used his frame to take a line-out well inside the Plymouth half – more forwards pressure led to a rarity this season, a try for Rob – and well deserved too. From the South Stand it wasn’t easy to see, but I understand it was his outstretched arm that got the grounding in the far corner and I’m happy enough with that. Hints had a touchline attempt to add the two points and kicked it with aplomb to ensure a healthy half time lead 14 – 5.
With the exception of the tactical kicking, the way in which the Tykes had gone about their work in the first half was really positive. We looked like a team who wanted to put the record straight and get a big win, possible with a bonus point if we could keep it going. Sadly, that was not going to be the case.
Play kicked off in the second half with the gloom becoming worse and the slight drizzle starting to become more substantial. Leeds went at Plymouth from the start and made ground with some really slick offloads and neat angled runs cutting into the Plymouth defence. Leeds could have capitalised, but the first silly mistake of the half and the play petered out. Now it was Plymouth who took control of the game.
A basic understanding of how to play for territory and how to kick in open play was evident from the visitors as they pushed Leeds further and further back over the next few minutes. Leeds gave away a penalty in their own 22, then another. Colin Noon was deemed to be worthy of a 10 minute stretch after the breakdown had ground to a halt 5 metres out, and Leeds had conceded yet another penalty. 15 man Plymouth could smell blood, and it was a truly dogged defence, reminiscent of those epics against Bath, which held them out. Finally some breathing space as Leeds got the ball back – a poor tactical kick and the pressure was back on. For such a sustained spell Plymouth would have expected some reward, but when pressure failed to produce any points and Leeds cleared their lines again we were left wondering what was going to give. In the end Plymouth chose to use their next penalty to get three points: a psychological victory for the 14 man defenders or a sensible return for all the pressure Plymouth had exerted? That is open for debate, but with 24 minutes to go there was just the one converted try between the sides: 14 – 8.
Colin Noon returned to the fray on 59 mins, and for the rest of the game read the following cycle repeatedly: - Plymouth attack, gain ground. Leeds manage to get their hands on the ball and choose to kick it straight back to Plymouth. Plymouth attack, gain ground…… the play was really that one sided. I can only give credit to Plymouth for being able to sustain that level of pressure, and to their levels of fitness and their desire to take the game to us. The one bright spot in this dark passage of play for the Tykes came in the scrum yet again, where Plymouth were brilliantly pushed back to turn the ball over for the Tykes after another period of Plymouth pressure.
Thankfully there was to be no more score in the game. Had there been, it would have been Plymouth who would have scored it. Leeds’ defence was very good, but boy, didn’t it need to be. Once again, the lack of kicking ability in open play, and the lack of ability to decide when and how to kick in open play nearly cost us. You can’t expect to win your games if you don’t keep hold of the ball occasionally.
When full time came there was huge relief for the fans and the players, who in some cases dropped to the floor to get their breath back. That’s a first in this league for us and a mark of how much the lads had to find to keep Plymouth out. Even when the Tykes players had seen the fans and gone back inside, the Plymouth players were still on the field in their huddle. They must be wondering how they didn’t manage to make the breakthrough they threatened for most of the second half.
Following the defeat at Clifton Lane, this was chance for the team to get back on track. A chance, as Colin Noon pointed out in the match programme, for the forwards to redeem themselves for being battered by the Titans. A close defeat, which may have been avoided, to be avenged.
Today the forwards fronted up and held Plymouth out. They carried the burden of the poor kicking from the backs and made sure that it didn’t cost us. We got a vital win – a win we probably didn’t totally deserve. What I can’t help thinking is that all the desire we have to put things straight against Rotherham at home will be reflected back on us if we go to Brickfields needing a result to become champions in April…..