Broncos hit back to stun Rhinos

Official English Super League Round 20 game report - Saturday 9 July 2005. Full time: London 32 Leeds 24.

Broncos hit back to stun Rhinos

London Broncos produced a storming second-half performance to condemn champions Leeds to a 32-24 engage Super League defeat in front of a 6,500 crowd at the Stade Aime Giral in Perpignan.

The slow-starting Broncos, ?on the road? for a second successive Saturday, trailed 16-0 after 18 minutes but hit back magnificently with four second-half tries to extend their unbeaten League run to seven matches.

Leeds led 24-8 when acting captain Keith Senior scored their fifth try on 51 minutes but they collapsed alarmingly in the final quarter and now lead second-placed St Helens by just one point.

It was a different story in the first half as the Rhinos shrugged off the absence of inspirational skipper Kevin Sinfield to seize control of the match.

The temperature had dropped to around 20 degrees by the 6pm kick-off but Leeds were red-hot from the start.

Right winger Mark Calderwood set the pattern for the half with a lightning break from deep inside his own half which forced Broncos full-back Mark McLinden to pull off a try-saving tackle.

But the champions struck after only six minutes through left winger Marcus Bai, who finished off a neat crossfield move started by Danny McGuire to claim his 10th try in five matches against the Broncos.

Full-back Richard Mathers, involved in the first try, then produced a wonderful solo effort from 80 metres after Bai had safely collected Thomas Leuluai?s high kick and two minutes later, McGuire accelerated away from Andrew Dunemann?s half-break and offload and Rob Burrow?s second goal made it 16-0.

The Broncos, starved of possession in the opening quarter, pulled a try back from their first meaningful attack when winger Nick Bradley-Qalilawa easily won the race to McLinden?s clever kick to the corner.

Bradley-Qalilawa got over the line a second time but could not ground the ball and Leeds were quick to respond.

Burrow set up a dream attacking position with an expert 40-20 kick and wily half-back partner McGuire fashioned a try for right winger Mark Calderwood straight from the scrum.

But Leeds? enterprising attacking play was their downfall five minutes before the break when McGuire?s pass was intercepted by Leuluai, who sprinted 80 metres for a try.

Unfortunately for the Broncos, Paul Sykes was unable to convert either of his side?s tries and they were grateful in first-half stoppage time when Leeds substitute Willie Poching got to the line but was turned on his back.

London had the first scoring opportunity of the second half, courtesy of a break by Sykes, but Burrow got back to tackle winger Mark O?Halloran into touch.

And Leeds extended their lead on 54 minutes when hooker Matt Diskin, making his comeback from a knee reconstruction, re-gathered possession from his own grubber kick and combined with fellow substitute Ali Lauitiiti to get Senior over for his ninth try in the last six matches.

The conversion was again too difficult for Burrow and London turned the game upside down with three converted tries in eight minutes.

Stand-off Luke Dorn crossed for his 16th Super League try of the season after smart work by Leuluai and McLinden, Sykes put O?Halloran over at the corner and then centre Tyrone Smith produced a wonderful pass out of the tackle to give Bradley-Qalilawa a clear run for his second try.

Sykes, who missed his first two kicks at goal, added all three conversions to put his side in front for the first time and Leuluai sealed the shock victory when he forced his way over from close range on 76 minutes, with Sykes kicking his fourth goal.

London: McLinden, O?Halloran, Smith, Sykes, Bradley-Qalilawa, Dorn, Leuluai, Trindall, Highton, Armour, Haumono, Hopkins, Purdham. Replacements: Lolohea, Mbu, Mateo, Tookey.

Leeds: Mathers, Calderwood, Walker, Senior, Bai, McGuire, Burrow, Bailey, Dunemann, Ward, McKenna, Jones-Buchanan, Ellis. Replacements: Diskin, McDermott, Lauitiiti, Poching.

London: (8) 32. Tries: Bradley-Qalilawa 2, Leuluai 2, Dorn, O'Halloran. Goals: Sykes 4.

Leeds: (20) 24. Tries: Bai, Mathers, McGuire, Calderwood, Senior. Goals: Burrow 2.

Referee: Ashley Klein (London) Att: 6,500

Thanks to www.superleague.co.uk for this great article.