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Round seven saw the first meeting of Leeds Rhinos and the Castleford Tigers in 2018 as the Rhinos decamped from Headingley to Elland Road to accommodate the massive supporter interest in the game.

The Rhinos had the luxury of naming the same seventeen who beat the league leaders, St Helens, last weekend, and after having their game against the Wigan Warriors fall victim to the bad weather last week Daryl Powell had Jy Hitchcox in for Michael Shenton and Alex Foster in place of Oliver Holmes (suspended) while Jacob Trueman got a place on the bench after the long term loss of Jesse Sene-Lefao.

The Tigers took total control of last seasons league meetings between the two sides with the Rhinos arguably winning the only one that mattered, the Grand Final meeting at Old Trafford.

It was a scrappy opening for the Champions. After they conceeded a penalty for a tackle in the air, the Tigers used three tackles before a delightful grubber from Luke Gale was collected by Jamie Ellis to go over under the uprights, giving Gale a simple conversion for 6-0.

On eight minutes a fabulous right to left passing move found Jame Clare on the wing to take a pass on the overlap and go over in the corner. Gale converted from the touchline to double the lead.

The Tigers were on fire. 

On ten a high kick to the corner from Jamie Ellis was caught on the full by Alex Foster as he dropped over the line to score. Gale was again accurate with the boot and it was already turning into a rout at 18-0.

After the Rhinos had a Mikolaj Oledzki try turned down by the video referee, the Tigers went down the other end of the field and on twenty-three Junior Moors took a Paul McShane pass just a metre from the line to crash over. Again it was a simple conversion for Gale and Castleford were 24-0 ahead in as many minutes.

On twenty-six the Rhinos finally got a little bit of joy when Kallum Watkins took a high Richie Myler kick and wriggled away from the tacklers to muscle to ball down on the line. He was unable to convert his own try and the Rhinos were still twenty adrift.

On thirty-two Ash Handley got the Rhinos second and it was the Tigers turn to be rocked. A Myler kick was collected by Handley with his back to the line and he reversed over to ground on the line. This time Watkins added the conversion for 24-10.

Luke Gale kicked a forty metre drop goal as the half time hooter sounded to send his side into the interval with a fifteen point advantage.

On forty-five Brad Singleton was sin-binned for a high tackle on Jamie Ellis and after the brightest start to the second half the Rhinos were down to twelve men for ten minutes.

Despite being a man down the Rhinos got the first try of the second half and again it was Handley who went through a gap in the Tigers defence, stepping off both feet to go fifteen metres and  score. Watkins added the conversion and the gap was reduced to nine points.

Ten minutes from time and Kallum Watkins got Leeds within touching distance of the Tigers when he stepped off his left foot, shrugged off a tackle, and went ten metres to dive over and score. The Rhinos skipper was unable to add the extra two for 20-25. The Rhinos had now scored four unanswered tries and had the momentum.

On seventy-six Oledzki was held up and two tackles later Ryan Hall flew in by the left corner flag for the Rhinos fifth try of the night. Referee Kendall asked the video referee who overruled him and gave the TRY. Watkins couldn’t add the extras from the touchline and the Tigers still had a one point lead with two minutes left on the clock.

This was a fantastic game of rugby and a had everything that a rugby league fan could want. Hard tackling, passion, great tries, and a nail biting finish. The Tigers got off to a superb start in rampaging their way to a 24-0 lead before the Rhinos could get any real possession. From the twenty-sixth minute the Rhinos dominated and came within a point of a sensational fightback. A close game between two good sides with just the Luke Gale drop goal the difference.

Fantastic.

Rhinos: Golding, Briscoe, Watkins (2T, 2G), Handley (2T), Hall (T), Moon, Myler, Mullally, Parcell, Singleton (SB on 45), Jones-Buchanan, Ablett, Delaney.  Subs: Walters, Smith, Oledzki, Walker.

Tigers: Roberts, Hitchcox, Webster, Minikin, Clare (T), Ellis (T), Gale (4G, DG), Millington, McShane, Massey, Foster (T), McMeeken, Milner.  Subs: Moors (T), Cook, Trueman, Green.

Referee: Chris Kendall.

Half-Time: 10-25.

Full-Time: 24-25.

Attendance: 23,246.



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Posted by RLFANS News Hound on Fri 23rd Mar 2018 9:54 PM | Views : 19474 | Replies : 0 | BACK TO STORIES
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