Leeds back to basics for first win

Guinness Premiership

Adams Park 01/11/09
London Wasps 9, Leeds Carnegie 15

LEEDS Carnegie found their first win since their return to the Guinness Premiership Sunday as they produced a scrappy but fulfilling performance away to in form London Wasps.

Their last away win in the Premiership the Yorkshire men will remember was at The Rec back in November 2005. After a hard start for the new boys this season, Andy Key's pugilists took advantage on a wet day in which Wasps struggled to capitalise.

A Wasps side keeping numbers small at the breakdown in their Kingsholm killing-spree failed to acclimatise to a Leeds forward pack savvy to the opportunities presented to them on the floor. Poor set piece play and twelve turnovers conceded by Wasps at the half put Leeds 12-6 up in the first forty.

Leeds stamped their intentions with immediate effect as an early drive from their kickoff was turned into points. Leeds’ ten Ceiron Thomas split the posts from the awarded penalty to begin a half that saw him hit four three pointers.

Wasps’ lineout was broken on several occasions and, on its second, was won back but lost at the breakdown. A vulnerable defensive line looked set to be punished by Leeds if only the hands of Erik Lund were a little flatter off the ruck.

A Dave Walder penalty pulled his side back to level terms soon after on eighteen minutes. Leeds then recovered their three point advantage after quashing the opposing scrum only to lose it when penalised likewise at their put in.

Similar scenes again as Swanseaman Thomas turned two kicks in two into three in three, then to slot his forth after inside half Andy Gomarsall made territory with a dink over the top.

But where the World Cup winning scrum half is streetwise, Wasps’ Joe Simpson remains charismatic. A quick tap and go put Wasps in scoring contention only to be sterilised once again by a resolute Carnegie pack.

Into the second half, Adams Park thought David Lemi had pounced onto a first try although the ball never seemed to stick to the reaching hands of the Samoan speedster.

Wasps began to brave the conditions with the hand. Ball was narrowed right in attack with returning replacement Simon Shaw making the yards. Ball then spread wide but was floundered by the heads up defensive play of wing Richard Welding stepping up.

Time, now, for a Wasps’ rolling maul. Leeds were forced to give away the penalty after conceding twenty-yards to the Wasps’ surge, which Walder struck with similar venom.

Thomas’ fifth attempt did drift wide of the posts although the coming twenty-two drop out from Walder was brought back for the scrum after going dead 80 meters down field.

Space left, space right, Leeds chose the former route. Ball was played back inside and rewarded with another three points as play was illegally killed on Wasps' retreat.

Wasps welcomed Tom Varndell to the field in the final ten where problems were seemingly in the pack. A further lineout opportunity was lost as the ball swayed adrift; Wasps redeemed themselves at the scrum but handling errors in the midfield gave the opportunity for Leeds to counter.

Sackey and Lemi failed to keep the ball on their radars from the kick up field and were saved from embarrassment as Varndell returned to clear. Simpson broke the line once more from the scrum to present another platform for Wasps but the brimming build up was spilled over in midfield for Leeds to catch a breath.

The spectacular Leeds scrum began to wane under pressure, but pressure was duly neutralised at the hands of Ward with another poor lineout for the home side. Leeds held on for their first win of the season, a momentous 15-9 victory for the side at the Wasps nest – another first incidentally – in a less than inspiring display from Tom Hanks’ men.